


365 Kyouriki Moments

by Rincchi (Kyarorain)



Category: Little Busters!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2018-02-07 14:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 365
Words: 83,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1901901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyarorain/pseuds/Rincchi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>365 themes, revolving around the relationship between Kyousuke & Riki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> In a desperate attempt to be more productive, I decided to write Kyousuke x Riki fics from 365 prompts. The prompts are from [here](http://365-prompts.livejournal.com/1301.html). That's a year's worth of Kyouriki ficlets/drabbles. There may be some longer chapters too. Let's see if I can make it to the finish line!

"Riki, are you awake yet?"

Riki made a muffled noise in response but made no effort to even open his eyes. His body still felt heavy with sleep and he had no particular desire to resist the pull back into its embrace. Kyousuke's footsteps could be heard going across the room. He then heard the sound of drapes being pulled apart.

"Would you look at that?"

Riki cracked an eye open and saw the rays of light spilling through the glass, creating a halo around Kyousuke's figure. Kyousuke turned his head, looking over at Riki with a smile. A momentary thought that it was always nice to wake up to a sight like that flitted through his mind.

"The sun's finally out. Makes a nice change after all the rainy weather lately."

"Mmm." It was nice to see the sun out finally, but Riki still made little effort to fight against asleep. His eye slid shut again. He felt the bed bounce a moment later.

"Rikiii."

A light breath wafted over Riki's face. He opened his eyes and saw that Kyousuke was lying right next to him with his face extremely close. He had his chin in his hands and was watching Riki with expectant eyes. Evidently, he had little interest in letting Riki return to his sleep.

"I wanna sleep more."

"Okay. I'll watch you while you sleep."

"Eeeeh... fine, do what you like." Riki closed his eyes again. He could still hear and feel every breath. The seconds ticked by and he was still very aware of Kyousuke's eyes on him. His eyebrow twitched. He felt the shifting of weight on the bed and realised that Kyousuke had put his head on the pillow.

After about a minute, Riki had to admit defeat.

"Okay, okay." Riki opened his eyes and gazed upon Kyousuke's gently smiling expression. In spite of being denied the extra sleep, he couldn't help but smile too. The mornings when Kyousuke was there with him were the best mornings of all.


	2. Kiss

"So, Riki, who do you like?"

"Eh?" Riki was startled by the unexpected question out of the blue. Of course, it wasn't the first time Kyousuke had asked him that question but the situation was different. There were just the two of them here, sitting on the bench and talking during lunch break. If they had just been messing around with Masato and Kengo, he wouldn't have been so surprised to hear it. After all, that was when those kind of questions usually came up, when it was just the guys talking among themselves. "Why did you bring that up all of a sudden?"

"Just curious." Kyousuke watched Riki with intent eyes. "Come to think of it, you dated all the girls in the Little Busters while we were in that dream world."

"Oh, yeah." Riki fidgeted a little. The idea that he had dated every female member of the Little Busters made him feel pretty awkward. "To be honest, I don't really remember that much of the dream world. Mostly, I just remember us all doing fun things together. Little things, here and there. I have no clear memory of it all." He cast a sideways glance at Kyousuke. "You remember everything, don't you?"

"Yeah. I was the master of that world after all."

That must have been a lot of memories. Riki did remember that it was a world that repeated over and over. What must it have been like to go through that, to watch the same events happen so many times? It would have to be pretty tiresome for most people, but Kyousuke was in a league all of his own.

"You don't have feelings for any of them now?"

"Uh, well..." Riki paused to look around at their surroundings. It wouldn't be good if any of the the girls were to suddenly appear while he was talking about this. Satisfied that he wasn't in danger of hurting any feelings, he spoke again but in a lower voice just to be careful. "I haven't really thought about that at all. I'm sure I really enjoyed my time with each of them but I'm not interested in that right now. I just like being with everyone."

"Of course. So... not even Rin?"

"Uh. Wa-wait, is that what this is about?" Riki ducked his head. "Well... I mean... I really do care about Rin, but, I haven't really thought about it... that is, I, uh..." His words trailed off as he tried to think of what to say. What if he said the wrong thing?

"Relax. I just wanted to be sure. You're free to choose whoever you want to be with, Riki. I would be very happy if you chose her, but you don't have to."

"Oh, okay then." Riki released a long breath. At the moment, he wasn't honestly sure about the idea of dating her, even if it had happened in that dream, and discussing it with Kyousuke would be pretty awkward. For now, he would much rather just enjoy their friendship. "Well, Kyousuke, isn't there anyone you like?"

Kyousuke always denied it whenever Riki asked and tried to divert the subject back to him whenever it came up, but Riki still never passed up the chance to ask. Maybe one day the answer would be different.

"Hmm." Kyousuke closed his eyes and was silent for a while. "Actually... I suppose there is someone I like after all."

"Eeh?!"

"Not so loud, Riki. Is it really that surprising?"

"No. Not really. It's just, you always deny it and..." Riki trailed off and stared at him. So there was someone Kyousuke liked after all. His surprise gave way to a complicated mix of feelings that he couldn't quite explain. "So you like someone after all." He pulled his gaze away. Why was he suddenly feeling so down? There was nothing wrong with that. A lump steadily grew in his throat. "Um. Who is she?"

Kyousuke cast a sideways glance with a raised eyebrow. "Who said it was a she? I know I didn't."

"Eeeeeeehhh?!" Riki's exclamation sent birds fluttering out of the nearby trees. His jaw hung slack as he stared at Kyousuke. "You mean..." 

Kyousuke's expression was so serious, that Riki knew he meant it. This wasn't just a joke. Of course, he had nothing against it. If Kyousuke liked guys, that was fine. Actually, that was great. Riki was startled when he realised that he actually felt relieved about it. Why would he even feel that way in particular?

"I see. Well, that's alright. Nothing wrong with that."

Kyousuke smiled, seeming satisfied by the answer. His smile quickly faded however. "Riki. Do you like me?"

Riki's cheeks turned a deep red. His mouth flapped as he struggled to get words out. Was Kyousuke trying to say what he thought? "Um. Ummm..." He couldn't even form a coherent sentence with all these thoughts whirling around his head. His face was so hot, it felt like steam might start pouring out his head at any moment. "I..."

Riki was still struggling to speak when Kyousuke leaned in and silenced his frantic stammers with his lips. Riki's entire body froze at the sudden touch and his mind went blank. Kyousuke's lips were actually touching his. They felt so soft.

Kyousuke sat back with a complicated look on his face. "Ah, sorry, I kind of just acted without thinking. Actually, I've wanted to do that for a while but it was hard to muster up the courage to do so. I should have waited for your answer. You can take as long as you want to think about it. Whatever you decide, it's okay, Riki. It won't change anything between us. I hope so, anyway. I'll leave you to-"

Kyousuke was rising from the bench when Riki's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. He looked back at Riki's crimson face and saw the intensity in his eyes.

"Don't go."

Kyousuke sat and watched, waiting. Riki gripped the fabric of his pants as he looked downward.

"That really surprised me." Riki drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. "I never thought..." He trailed off. Kyousuke had feelings for him. He'd even kissed him. Riki brought a hand up to touch his lips. He could still feel the lingering sensation that had been left there. As his initial surprise slowly abated, Riki realized something - he felt light, like his body was floating. His heart was racing.

"Kyousuke..."

Kyousuke held his breath. Riki met his gaze with glimmering eyes.

"Can you do that again?"


	3. Loss

"So you're going job hunting again?" Riki felt that familiar pang he usually did when Kyousuke announced he was going away. Sure, he always came back, but Riki couldn't help feeling lonely when he wasn't there.

"Yeah. It's just a few days." Kyousuke studied his face then placed a hand atop his head. "Come on, Riki, don't make that expression. You'll be having fun with everyone else, won't you?"

"Uh huh. It's not the same though." Riki knew he was being childish. He couldn't expect Kyousuke to stay by his side all the time. They weren't children anymore. "Sorry. I know this is important, but..."

"But?"

"To be honest, ever since that day of the accident, I get scared when you're not with me. I know what it's like to lose someone close to me and I nearly lost you too. I couldn't bear facing such a loss. I love you so much, Kyousuke. I don't ever want you to leave me behind. I know, I'm being such a child. It's so pathetic."

"It's alright." Kyousuke enfolded Riki in his arms. Riki buried his face in that warm chest he'd found comfort in so many times. "There's nothing wrong with not wanting to lose someone. Of course you'd be worried after what happened, but I don't want you spend every day living in fear."

"I know." Riki drew back and looked up at him. "I promised myself I wouldn't be weak anymore. I just..." How could he explain it? It was difficult to think of the right words to say. "I just want you to always be there for me. It's a selfish wish but there you go."

"Riki." Kyousuke smiled wistfully and caressed his hair. "I can't make any promises, but I'll always do my best to come back to you so don't worry too much. Can you do that?"

Riki nodded, smiling back. "Yeah."


	4. Laundry

"I'm going to do the laundry today," Riki announced, looking across the table to Kyousuke. As the only one in this flat who didn't have a job yet, he was stuck with most of the household chores but he did them without complaint. 

On the other hand, it had been a bit embarassing that one time their friends came over and Mio commented he was like a housewife. Riki vowed he was going to find himself a job sooner or later. He made a mental note to pop out and get the newspaper later.

"Did you put your dirty washing out?"

"Yeah." Kyousuke gulped down the last of his toast with coffee. He wiped the crumbs from his mouth. "You're so scrupulous, Riki. Isn't it typical for guys like us to simply let all the dust and debris of their daily life build up around them while they do nothing but watch television?"

"I don't want to live in a house like that, and doing nothing but watch television sounds pretty boring."

"True. Well then, I'm off."

"See you later then." Riki rose from the chair to give Kyousuke a kiss. "Do your best at work."

After he was done with breakfast and had cleared away the dishes, Riki went to sort the laundry out. He was in the process of tossing dirty garments into the washing machine when something caught his eye.

"Huh?" Riki tugged at the mysterious object, pulling it free of the pile, and held it up for a better look. It was a pair of boxers he hadn't noticed before, so he guessed they had to be new. They definitely belonged to Kyousuke. There was no doubt about it in the least.

Riki's lips curved into a bemused smile. "I wonder how many guys live with their boyfriends and have to wash their manga character patterned boxers?"

Kyousuke was still a child in some ways, even if he was a working adult now, but Riki found it so endearing. Thinking that he never wanted that to change, he tossed the boxers into the washing machine.


	5. Wedding

It was finally here, the long awaited day of his wedding. Riki awoke early in the morning with butterflies stirring in his stomach. He looked at the peaceful face of the man sleeping in the bed next to him and the butterflies picked up speed.  
  
 _Today is the day!_  
  
Riki's face split into a wide smile. He slipped out of bed and went to get some coffee.  
  
 _Maybe I should make breakfast in bed and have it with Kyousuke. That would be a nice treat on the day of our wedding, wouldn't it?_  
  
And so he decided to do just that. Riki busied himself with preparing a big breakfast, humming all the while. He was so focused on his task that he didn't hear Kyousuke come up behind him and was surprised by the arms wrapping around his shoulder.  
  
"Morning." Kyousuke's lips brushed against his neck.  
  
"Wah-!" Riki gasped out. "Kyousuke, you startled me."  
  
"Did I? Sorry. So you're making breakfast already?"  
  
"Yeah. I thought I'd do breakfast in bed for us. Since it's the day of our wedding, we should get an early start on things."  
  
"I see. Man, I can't believe it's really here." Kyousuke grinned from ear to ear. "We're really getting married, Riki!"  
  
"Mmm." Riki nodded. "It's a new beginning for us. Anyway, I'm nearly done with breakfast so you get back into bed."  
  
Riki brought the breakfast to their room and they ate while discussing what married life might bring. He was sure plenty of wonderful things would await them. Not a lot would really change once they were married. They would still spend time with the rest of the Little Busters and do lots of fun things together. That was just how things should be.  
  
After breakfast and a shower, it was time to get ready for the wedding. Riki opened up the closet, expecting to see his suit hanging on the hook.  
  
What greeted him instead was a bundle of white fabric that was unmistakably a dress. Also hanging from the hook was a wispy veil. Riki gaped at the sight, struggling to comprehend what was happening. For a moment, he thought this might have been Kyousuke's doing, but then he saw the post-it note on the door.  
  
'Here's your dress for the wedding, Riki-kun. I think it's much better than that suit you were planning to wear. I made sure to get it in your size too. Looking forward to seeing you as a blushing bride.  
  
Kurugaya.'  
  
Riki screamed-  
  
-and sat up in bed, gasping.  
  
 _What the heck kind of dream was that?!_  
  
He recalled last night, when he and Kyousuke had got through a few beers each and been discussing whether it would ever be possible for them to get married. They had fantasised about it for a while but begrudgingly accepted that until certain laws changed, it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.  
  
"Geez..." Riki sighed. He certainly hoped nothing like that would happen.  
  
"What's wrong, Riki?"  
  
Whoops, looked like he'd woken Kyousuke up.  
  
"Oh, nothing." Riki lay back down. "I just had this dream where we were actually going to get married and it was the day of our wedding. Then I found out Kurugaya switched my suit with a wedding dress."  
  
"Really?" Kyousuke sounded amused. Riki was sure he had a smile on his face right now. "It wouldn't be the first time she pulled something like that. I'm sure she'd hold back on something like our wedding day though."  
  
"I should certainly hope so."  
  
"I think you'd look great in a wedding dress though."  
  
"Dream on." Riki pulled the covers over his head and closed his eyes, hearing Kyousuke chuckle.


	6. Anniversary

As usual, Kyousuke was the first one to wake in the morning. Having a job necessitated earlier waking hours after all and he always made sure to be up bright and early. Today, however, he was taking the day off and there was a good reason for it. There was enough light filtering through the drapes that he could clearly see the face of the person sleeping next to him.

Riki really did look so cute when he was sleeping. Then again, Kyousuke thought he always looked pretty cute. He could spend a long time sitting here and just gazing at Riki’s face while he slept, etching every feature deep into his mind. On the other hand, he was keen to get Riki up soon so they could make the most of this day together. It was a special occasion after all.

What better way to wake him up than with a kiss? Kyousuke leaned in and planted a kiss on Riki’s forehead. That wasn’t quite enough to rouse him, so he kissed him again on the nose. Now Riki started to stir, letting a muffled sound through his lips.

"Morning." Kyousuke swept Riki’s bangs away from his eyes. "Sleep well?"

"Mmph… Kyousuke?" Riki blinked. "What time is it?"

"Seven AM."

"Eeehhh… it’s early."

"Yeah, I know, but today is a very special day. You know what it is?"

"Uhhh…" Riki was having a hard time just remembering what today’s date was as he struggled against the waves of sleepiness. "Is it someone’s birthday?"

"Do you remember when we started dating?"

"You’re asking way too many questions," Riki protested. "It was a year ago. Hold on. Is it our anniversary?"

"That’s it. Well done." Kyousuke patted his head.

"Uwaaah…" Riki sat up. "I knew it was around a year already, but I didn’t remember the exact date. You still remembered it…. ahh, I’m such a terrible boyfriend." He dropped his head in his hands.

Kyousuke laughed gently and wrapped his arms around Riki’s body. "It’s alright. Don’t worry about it. Happy anniversary, Riki."

"Happy anniversary."

They pressed their lips together in a long kiss.

"Man, I can’t believe it’s already been a year," Kyousuke said, as their lips broke apart. He grinned.

"Me too." Riki exhaled, smiling. "I’m sure there will be many more years to come." Thinking about it, he felt that familiar tingle of excitement. One year had already gone by and there was still so much to look forwards to. He was sure they would be together for the rest of their lives.

"Yeah." Kyousuke reached up to ruffle Riki's hair. "I hope so. Well, I took the day off work so we can enjoy our anniversary together. We'll have a lot of fun today."

"Really?" Riki's eyes lit up. "That's great. I can't wait already."

"Now, let's get started. Time for breakfast."


	7. Cloud

It was a pleasantly warm day, comfortable enough to lie on the grass and bask in the heat, which was precisely what Kyousuke and Riki were doing. Riki's head rested in the crook of Kyousuke's shoulder and one arm was draped over his chest. Lying there with closed eyes and a smile on his face, he wished he could stay like this forever.

"That one looks like a camel."

Riki cracked his eyes open and looked toward the blue sky, dotted with white wisps. He saw the cloud Kyousuke was pointing at. It did look vaguely apple-ish, he supposed. 

"You're watching the clouds?"

"Sure. It's fun."

As always, Kyousuke was able to find entertainment in the most mundane things. Even after all this time they had spent together, Riki was still awed by what an amazing person Kyousuke was. He doubted there was anyone else in the world who could live up to him. Riki was trying to fill his shoes as the new leader of the Little Busters, but it wasn't always easy. Kyousuke really was irreplaceable.

"What can you see, Riki?"

"Uh." Riki looked up, raising a hand to shield his eyes. There weren't even that many clouds in the sky in the first place and most of them were shapeless. "Ugh, I don't know." He sighed. "I guess I just don't have enough imagination." After a pause, he spoke again. "I wish I could think of all sorts of things like you, Kyousuke. In comparison to you, I guess I'm just too normal."

"There's no such thing as too normal." Kyousuke turned his face to look into Riki's eyes. "Anyway, you're fine the way you are, Riki."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't change a thing about you. I love everything about you."

Riki's face reddened. "Well, thanks."

"So you just keep going on the way you are. I think you're doing a fine job as the leader of the Little Busters too, so don't worry too much about that. Okay?"

"Okay."

Kyousuke gave Riki a soft kiss on the lips and turned his gaze back toward the sky. "Now then, what do you think that one looks like?"


	8. Ocean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ficlet inspired by that one line in Mio's route where Riki wonders why Kyousuke never took them to the beach.

"There's hardly anyone out here." Kyousuke shielded his eyes as he scanned the length of the beach. "It's so quiet."

"Well, it's still early in the morning after all." Riki inhaled deeply, savouring the fresh summer air. When he licked his lips, he could taste a salty tang. He looked around, taking in the sight of the vast stretches of golden sand, the distant line on the horizon where the sky met with the ocean, and the froth tipped waves. "I wonder why we didn't use to come to the beach more often."

"Uh. No particular reason."

There was something odd about Kyousuke's voice just then. Riki narrowed his eyes.

"There is a reason, isn't there?"

"Come on, Riki, the sea's waiting for us." Kyousuke grabbed Riki's hand and pulled him along. With a loud splash, the two of them sank into the waves. Riki sure was glad they were wearing trunks this time. 

"Don't think changing the subject is going to make me drop it."

"Ahh, the water feels lovely." Kyousuke started paddling away. Riki swam up to him and matched his pace. "Don't you just love summer?"

"So, what's the reason?"

"Geez, you sure are persistent. Who says there's a reason anyway?"

"It's embarrassing, right?" Riki guessed. "I wonder if Rin knows what it is."

"Nah, she was so young then, I doubt it."

"So there IS a reason?"

"Crap." Kyousuke looked horrified at the realisation he'd been caught out.

"Tell me. I won't laugh, I promise."

Kyousuke pressed his lips together, looking intently at Riki. "Mm. On one condition."

Suddenly, Riki had a very bad feeling about this.

"You will rent out a maid outfit for an evening and greet me with 'Welcome home, Master' when I arrive home. Also, you'll do whatever I ask of you while wearing it."

Riki's jaw dropped. He was left speechless, bobbing in place on the waves and staring at Kyousuke. Kyousuke smirked and paddled off. Riki ground his teeth in frustration. He really wanted to know what Kyousuke's secret was, but to undergo something so humiliating? On second thoughts, he was used to being humiliated so what harm would a little more do to him?

"I'll do it!"

Kyousuke stopped and looked over his shoulder with a stunned expression. "What?"

"I said I'll do it. I'll wear the maid outfit and I'll follow every one of your orders, no matter how embarrassing they are!" Riki bowed his head. "So, please tell me!"

"Good grief." Kyousuke sighed. "I didn't think you wanted to know that badly."

"So, will you tell me?"

"Since you're so desperate, I guess I will." Kyousuke swam back over to him. "Please don't tell anyone else about this."

"My lips are sealed."

"Okay. So, my parents took me and Rin to the beach one day. I was about five years old then. It was a lot of fun. We spent the day paddling in the sea and building sandcastles. However, something horrible happened."

"Mmhmm." Riki nodded.

"While we were making another sandcastle..." Kyousuke paused, lowering his gaze. "A really big crab came out of nowhere and it pinched my foot. It hurt a lot."

"Eh, so the reason you used to avoid the beach was because you were afraid of crabs?"

"Yeah, so what?" Kyousuke crossed his arms and looked away. "Those things come out of nowhere. They're so fast and getting pinched really hurts."

Riki could hardly believe it. Kyousuke always seemed so tough and fearless that the idea of him avoiding beaches because he was afraid of something like that seemed utterly ridiculous. The longer he imagined Kyousuke being terrified of crabs, the more amusement swelled up inside.

"Booh!"

Oops. Riki clapped his hands over his mouth, his eyes widening. He really hadn't meant to do that. It had just slipped out without warning.

Kyousuke's face darkened. "You promised you wouldn't laugh." He started swimming back to shore.

"I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! Kyousuke!" Riki swam after him.

Kyousuke reached the beach first and sat down on the sand with his arms around his legs. Riki hurried over.

"I'm really sorry, okay?" Riki fell to his knees. Kyousuke just looked away. "It just slipped out, I swear, I didn't do it on purpose." He waited but Kyousuke still didn't say anything. "You're not going to spend all day sulking, are you?"

"Hmph."

Riki sighed. It wasn't often Kyousuke got into one of these childish moods but when he did, they could last a while. "Look, I'll wear that maid outfit for two days, even. I'll buy manga for you if you want. Anything!"

"Wear it for a week."

"Are you seriously that mad at me?"

"No, I just really like the idea of you wearing it."

"Oh, come on." Riki exhaled. "Okay, whatever you like. So will you forgive me now?"

"Aw, I couldn't possibly stay mad at you." Kyousuke grinned, placing a hand on Riki's head and ruffling it. "Okay, now you know why."

"Yeah."

"Now let's never speak of it again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For extra hilarity, imagine Riki casually asking Rin about going to the beach as a child and she blurts out, in graphic detail, the incident with the crab. Kyousuke crying like a baby made such a strong impression on her she remembered it all. Cue Riki's great chagrin as he realizes his sacrifice was completely unnecessary.
> 
> Also, Kyousuke realized life was too short to be afraid of silly things like crabs and that's why he stopped avoiding the beach.


	9. Gilded

Light spilled in through the window, casting a gilded sheen over the room. Riki looked through the glass, watching the sun's slow descent toward the horizon. He was painfully aware of how quiet it was right now. 

They had known this day was coming. Even though he'd been prepared for it, it still hit him hard when everything was over. There was plenty of fun and laughter on the last day, and there had also been tears. He'd done his best to hold them back.

"Well done, Riki." Kyousuke clasped Riki's hand in his. It felt strong and warm as always. Riki didn't want that hand to let go but he knew it had to. "Keep doing your best as the leader of the Little Busters. I'm counting on you."

"Yeah, I will," Riki choked out. "Take care of yourself, Kyousuke."

He watched Kyousuke walk through the school gate through the mist of cherry blossoms dancing on the air. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye and fell down his cheek, defying his intention to not cry. He hastily wiped it off and joined everyone in waving and smiling. Kyousuke looked back one more time with a grin on his face, raising his hand in farewell.

Now that he was gone, Riki was left with a hollow feeling. He would do his best to have fun and to laugh together with everyone but it wasn't going to be the same without Kyousuke there.

His phone buzzed. Riki opened it up and saw a text message from Kyousuke.

'You aren't crying right now, are you?'

Riki smiled and typed out a response.

'No, I'm not.'

He paused, thinking of something else to say.

'I do feel a little lonely though now you're gone.' With that, he sent the message.

The next message arrived shortly.

'Well, cheer up, alright? We'll still be able to see each other now and then, you know. If you get down, you'll make people worry.'

'Yeah, I know. I still miss you though.'

'I guess that can't be helped. I'll miss you too.'

Riki stared at the display for a while, his eyes stinging. He took a deep breath and slowly released it. No tears allowed. They would see each other again, so there was no need to cry.

'Well, good luck, Kyousuke. I look forward to seeing you again.'


	10. Fireworks

"Here, Riki, have some takoyaki." Kyousuke held out a skewer.

"Oh, thank you." Riki took a bite and slowly chewed, savouring the batter and creamy mixture of octopus and vegetables concealed within. "Mmm, it's good. I don't think I can eat much more though, I'm already pretty stuffed."

"Festival food is great, isn't it? I wish we could have festivals more often." Kyousuke grinned. "They are always so much fun." He looked around, his eyes falling on a goldfish stall. "What was my goldfish winning record again?"

"No, you can't try and break it," Riki admonished him. "You are currently providing for both of us with your job and can't afford to take care of so many goldfish."

"Ah, that's true. I guess I've spent enough money now anyway. The fireworks should be starting soon. Let's try and get a good spot while we still can." Kyousuke grabbed Riki's hand and took off. They hurried past the stalls and made their way to a small clearing where several benches had been set up. Some people had already gathered in anticipation of the upcoming event. They settled on a bench at the furthest edge of the clearing with fewer people around.

"It's the first time we've gone to a festival like this, isn't it?" Riki remarked. "Just the two of us."

"Yeah, you're right. It's just not the same without everyone else. We'll have to bring them along next time."

"That would be nice. It's hard to get everyone together though, now that we've all got jobs and responsibilities." Riki let out a small sigh. "Kind of sad, really."

"Hey, you're not allowed to be sad at a festival." Kyousuke slung an arm over his shoulder and leaned in. "Is my company not good enough for you?"

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant at all."

"Haha, just teasing." Kyousuke kissed his cheek.

"Humph." Riki looked away, his face flushing. "Still, it's not bad to spend time together like this. I wish we could do it all the time." He leaned against Kyousuke, resting his head on his chest. 

"Yeah." Kyousuke rested his chin on Riki's head and his arm slipped down until it was around Riki's waist. They stayed like that, silently basking in the comfort of each other's bodies until the first streak of light shot into the sky. It exploded in an array of dazzling colours.

Riki and Kyousuke watched the display with open mouths, their eyes aglow with delight. They saw firework after firework decorate the night sky, splashing every colour of the rainbow across it. Even the shapes of the lights varied, taking on all kinds of forms. 

The fireworks display eventually came to its end and silence returned. A hubbub of cheers and claps went up from the crowd.

"That was amazing." Riki was still looking at the sky with an awed expression.

"It was, wasn't it? I can't wait to do this again." Kyousuke gazed at Riki's face, smiling gently. 

Riki noticed him staring. "Hm? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, I just like looking at it."

"Oh. Okay." Riki blushed. "Still kind of embarrassing when you do that though..."

Kyousuke chuckled and got to his feet. He held out his hand to take Riki's. "Well, let's go enjoy what's left of the festival."


	11. Baby

"Hmm."

"What are you thinking about now?" Riki asked, scrutinizing Kyousuke's face. The two of them were lying side by side in bed, talking until the need to sleep overcame them both. Currently, they were speculating on what the future would hold in store for them.

"Imagine if we could have babies with each other."

"Impossible. Given that we aren't even able to legally get married, I doubt we could adopt either."

"I'm just speaking hypothetically. What if it was biologically possible to produce a kid ourselves?"

"Sorry, I can't even begin to imagine that." Riki's brow furrowed. "Anyway, I haven't been thinking about having children." 

"You would totally be the mom."

Riki's mouth flapped open and shut, allowing a series of incoherent sounds to burble out while he processed what Kyousuke had just said. "N-no way! That's just ridiculous." 

"And I'd be the dad. The kids would love me. I would take them to amusement parks and fairs all the time."

"When you're not working, you mean?"

"Well, yeah. If you get a job too, we can both take time off now and then."

"Hmm." Riki allowed his mind to wander, envisioning them having children. They wouldn't be lacking in having fun, that was for sure. Kyousuke would definitely see to that. Riki imagined he would be the one in charge of trying to control them all. He'd had enough practice by now that it would surely be a piece of cake. However, he didn't think he would want them all to inherit Kyousuke's immense enthusiasm. If one or two children were more like Riki himself, that would be ideal. The thought of trying to control three or four mini Kyousukes was alarming. "Well, it would be quite something, having children."

"Yeah. So, what do you think we would name them?" Kyousuke lapsed into thought. "How about Picasso? Or Galileo?"

"NO!" Riki exclaimed with a look of sheer horror. "You absolutely can't name them after famous people like that! The kids would end up hating you, no matter how many amusement parks you took them to!"

"I was joking." Kyousuke raised an eyebrow. "Sheesh, Riki, you don't need to take me so seriously all the time."

Problem was, it was sometimes hard to tell when Kyousuke was being serious or just kidding. Anyway, Riki was certain Kyousuke would attempt to burden at least one hypothetical child of theirs with some famous name.

"Oh, okay. Just keep in mind that, unlike cats, people care about their names."

"You really think I'd do something so horrible to our future children?" Kyousuke stuck his bottom lip out. "Well, you wouldn't let me anyway. You'd be such a strict mom."

"Why do I have to be a mom?! And I wouldn't be that strict."

"Sure you would. You'd follow them around, going 'no no no' every time they do something wrong."

Riki gave an indignant huff and rolled onto his back.

"Oh, come on, I'm only teasing. Don't be mad." Kyousuke shifted over to put his arm around Riki's body. He rested his head next to Riki's. "You'd be a wonderful mom."

"Will you drop the mom thing already?"

"We'd be great parents. Now, if only we were able to get married. Maybe someday we will, huh?" Kyousuke kissed Riki's cheek. "So, shall we go to sleep now?"

"Sure. Goodnight, Kyousuke."

"Night."


	12. Groceries

"Let me take that." Kyousuke took one of the two grocery bags Riki was carrying. He then slipped his hand into Riki's and held on. "It's been a while since we last shopped together like this. Look at us, doing couple stuff in public for the first time in ages."

"If you say it like that, it's kind of embarrassing." Riki looked around, his eyes meeting the gazes of a few strangers. He would see the occasional odd look thrown in their direction when they made their relationship clear in public but he didn't let it bother him. Why care about what a few close minded strangers thought? As long as he and Kyousuke were happy together, that was all that mattered. "People are staring at us."

"Let them." Kyousuke was, of course, completely unfazed. As expected of him, Riki thought. He never really cared how other people reacted to whatever over the top things he did. It was an admirable quality to be sure. Kyousuke glanced at Riki with a smile, then his face grew serious. "Hold on a moment, Riki, there's something on your face."

"Huh? There is?"

"Yeah. Right there." Kyousuke bent over and pressed his lips against Riki's. "There, all better."

Riki's face flooded crimson. "Geez, what are you doing?!" Not that he minded the kiss in the least, but right there in front of all those people?

"I wanted to see you get all flustered, that's all." Kyousuke grinned. "Works every time."

"Gosh." Riki exhaled. Kyousuke could be such a tease sometimes. He wondered if it would be possible to do the same thing to Kyousuke but knew getting him flustered would be a difficult task indeed. It would take some creativity.

"What's with that 'Someday I'm going to get my revenge' face?"

"Uwaaah?!" Riki mentally kicked himself for giving it away. If only Kyousuke wasn't able to read him so easily. "No, no, no, you're just imagining things, I swear."

"If you say so." It didn't sound like Kyousuke believed him entirely however.

"Well, let's get these groceries home, shall we?" Riki put on an extra cheery smile. Later, he thought, he'd definitely try to think of something.


	13. Picnic

Kyousuke set the blanket down and spread it over the grass. He then gestured for Masato to set down the extremely large hamper he'd been carrying the whole way. Everyone seated themselves around it.

"Alright, we're all ready!" Kyousuke pumped his fist. "Now then, let the first grand Little Busters picnic commence!"

"You don't have to make such a big deal out of it," Rin said dryly.

"That guy makes a big deal out of everything," Kengo commented.

"You don't get to talk." Masato threw a disdainful look at him.

'He's got a point,' Riki thought, eyeing the Little Busters jumper Kengo wore as always. 

"I made a lot of sandwiches for everyone," Mio said. "I hope you'll enjoy them." She finished speaking and promptly yawned. "Oh, excuse me."

"How early did you get up, Mio-chan?" Komari asked, looking concerned.

"Early enough. I thought it would be a good idea to get everything ready in due time."

"That's quite scrupulous of you, Mio-kun."

"You really didn't have to go to so much trouble for us," said Kyousuke.

"It's fine, I wanted to do this."

"So, we've got Mio-chan's sandwiches, and also the best cakes and pastries from the bakery that I bought," said Komari. "Kuu-chan cooked some food for us too."

"That's right, I helped too," Kud said with a cheery smile. "So please enjoy my cooking."

"It sounds like we have quite the feast waiting for us," Riki observed. "I'm looking forward to this."

"Let's dig in already!" Haruka exclaimed. "Haruchin is starving!"

Everyone started helping themselves to the immense stash of food packed away in the hamper. Riki was amazed by the sheer amount of food they had managed to fit in there. No wonder Masato had been the one to carry it all the way. He got stuck into a ham and mustard sandwich. As expected, it was delicious.

The sandwich was finished in a few bites and Riki was about to get another one when Kyousuke, who was sitting next to Riki, stopped him.

"Hold on, Riki." Kyousuke leaned in until his face was a mere hair's breadth away. Riki looked into his eyes, his face warming. "You've got something there."

Kyousuke's thumb rubbed against the corner of Riki's mouth. When he took his hand away, Riki saw a small blob of mustard.

"There, all gone." Kyousuke licked the mustard off his thumb.

"Wha-what are you doing? You could have just wiped it off with a napkin!" Riki spluttered, his face getting even hotter.

"But that's a waste."

"Seriously." Riki exhaled. He caught Mio's gaze. Her eyes were wide and her face flushed. He flashed her an awkward smile before reaching for another sandwich.


	14. Park

Today was a fine day for a walk and so Kyousuke and Riki were making the most of the free time they had. They aimlessly wandered from street to street, taking in the sights with their hands held.

"Let's take this road." Kyousuke gently tugged Riki along. "Isn't this exciting, walking down all these streets we haven't been to before? It's kind of like exploring."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You never know what you'll discover. Maybe we'll find a hidden shop tucked away on a street corner and it will sell the world's best ice cream."

"I'm not sure it would be the world's best."

"Well, something like that. Maybe we'd find an old, abandoned house with a warning sign saying 'Danger, do not enter'. Sounds super scary, doesn't it? I always wanted to find one."

Riki recalled how Kyousuke always used to try and find all kinds of scary places for the Little Busters to explore back in their childhood. However, since breaking and entering definitely broke the code they were supposed to uphold and abandoned buildings were hardly commonplace, they were limited in where they could go.

"You really do have random ideas," Riki commented. "I wouldn't mind finding an ice cream shop at least. Not sure about the abandoned building though."

"Hey, a park. And it's got swings!"

"Wha-" Riki was startled when Kyousuke pulled sharply on his hand and he found himself being dragged along at a startling speed. He hastily steadied himself before he fell over and looked up to see that Kyousuke was making a beeline for the swings. "Geez. At least give me some warning before you take off like that." What a kid Kyousuke could be at times, he thought.

Kyousuke got into one of the swings and kicked off with a gleeful expression. "I love swings!"

"Yeah, I know." Riki sat in the other swing and started to gently swing back and forth. He watched Kyousuke soar into the air. "The way you swing so high like that, I'm always worried you'll fall off."

"Really? But it's so exhilarating to swing like this. You should try it."

"I don't think I could swing that high anyway." Also, Riki felt he much preferred to play it safe. Kyousuke could be awfully reckless at times. In their childhood, there had been no shortage of cuts and scrapes. They really had been a rowdy bunch of children.

Riki watched Kyousuke as he continued to swing back and forth, eyes drawn to the rapturous look on Kyousuke's face. He was so like a child, the way his eyes lit up and he smiled at the most childish things. It was quite heartwarming to see. Riki doubted he would ever really grow up, but that was just fine. He loved Kyousuke the way he was.

Kyousuke's swings eventually slowed down until he was merely swaying back and forth. "Ahh, that was fun. What should we do next?" 

"You really have so much energy." Riki looked at him in amazement.

"Come on." Kyousuke hopped off the swing and held his hand out. "No time to waste."

Riki allowed Kyousuke to take his hand and pull him away in search of the next activity. It had been so long since they ran around like this, finding things to do one after another. He hadn't realized how much he missed it.

'Yeah,' he thought with a smile, 'I really hope Kyousuke never changes.'


	15. Circus

"Man, I can hardly believe I actually have a job now," Kyousuke said. He paused to take a long sip from his box of juice. "It was taking so long I was honestly starting to get worried."

"Yeah, that's true. Getting a job doesn't seem so easy. It's great that you've got one now after all that work."

"Indeed. Now I have one less thing to worry about."

"Mmm." Riki leaned back on the bench and turned his gaze to the sky, his brow furrowing in thought. "I wonder what kind of a job I might get someday. Maybe it will just be something like an office job. I don't have any grand ideas."

"As long as you're working and getting money, it's good enough, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I remember when I was younger, I had so many ideas of what I wanted to be when I grew up but I forgot about all that." Riki cocked a glance at Kyousuke. "What about you? I'm sure you had lots of ideas too."

"I wanted to join the circus."

"Huh?" Riki's expression changed to surprise. "That's what you wanted to do?"

"Well, yeah, aren't circuses usually so much fun? That's what I thought back then. If you worked there, you would get to perform and do all sorts of awesome tricks like flying through the air, also you get to do stuff with these exotic and unusual animals. It just seemed like a really cool idea at the time."

"Huh." Riki tried to imagine Kyousuke dressed up in a fancy outfit, leaping through the air and performing all sorts of daring actions. He could definitely see Kyousuke doing something like that. "Well, that does actually really suits you. I bet you would have loved doing that."

"Sure I would, but let's be real here. If I'm going to be a salaryman, I've got to be serious about it."

"I guess you're right." Riki recalled his memories of childhood. "I think I only ever went to the circus once. That time when we all went together, you, me, Rin, Masato and Kengo, years ago."

"That's right. I even said someday the Little Busters should try forming their own circus but Rin shot the idea down. She didn't like the idea of crowds of people coming to see us. Wonder what it would have been like though."

Riki vaguely recalled something like that happening. The Little Busters had done so many things together, it was hard to keep track of all these memories. 

"We all have to grow up sometime anyway," Kyousuke murmured.

"Mm." Riki nodded, his expression turning sad. Though he was already prepared for it, it was still sobering to think about.

"Don't make that face." Kyousuke laid a hand on Riki's head and caressed his hair. "Hey, now that I've got a job, that means no more job hunting. I don't have to keep going on trips anymore."

"Oh, yeah." Riki's face lit up. "It does, doesn't it?"

"We might not be able to put on something like a circus, but let's come up with something incredible for the Little Busters to do. We'll spend these last few months having lots of fun together as always and make it as memorable as possible. Right, Riki?"

"Yeah. Let's do that."


	16. Vacation

"Phew, it's so hot." Riki lay on his back, fanning himself. "This summer heat is really something." He glanced at Kyousuke, who didn't seem to be terribly fazed by the heat with his nose buried deep in a manga.

"It is, huh?" Kyousuke raised his head, his gaze briefly passing over to the open window.

"Seriously, don't tell me you didn't even notice the sweltering heat."

"Nah, it just doesn't bother me that much, especially when I'm reading this thrilling manga. I'm almost done with this. You want to go swimming later?"

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Riki's arm was growing tired so he put it down. "Might as well do something during our free time. Hmm, it would be nice if we could go on vacation, wouldn't it?"

"We can't afford to do that right now."

"Yeah, I know." Riki closed his eyes, imagining himself lying on a sandy beach next to Kyousuke, sipping drinks in the shade of a palm tree. "If we ever go on vacation, let's go to Hawaii."

"Or we could go to Disneyland."

"Eh? Disneyland?"

"Yeah. I've always wanted to go there but my parents always said they couldn't afford it." Kyousuke sighed. "I feel so deprived thinking about it now. I used to write letters to Santa begging him to let me go to Disneyland but he never granted my wish."

"Kyousuke, you know Santa's not real." Thinking about it, Riki did vaguely remember Kyousuke mentioning his desire to visit Disneyland once or twice in the past. "Anyway, it's not like Japan doesn't have amusement parks, you know."

"That's not the point." Kyousuke slammed his manga shut and set it aside. "Going to Disneyland is something everyone should do at least once! Haven't you ever wanted to go, Riki?"

"Why would I when I had the Little Busters?"

Kyousuke was struck silent. Riki sat up and looked at him, confirming that he had indeed become lost for words. It was rare to see him like this.

"Riki..." Kyousuke screwed his eyes shut. "We really mean that much to you, don't we?"

"Well, yes. The Little Busters are very important to me after all."

Kyousuke scooted over and grabbed Riki's hands. Riki could see tears at the corners of his eyes. "I'm so moved by your words. Riki, I love you so much."

"I don't know why you're acting like this is brand new information but okay. I love you too."

"You know what, you're right. We don't need Disneyland. If we can ever afford it, let's go to Hawaii."

"Eh? You sure?"

"Yeah. We'll have fun wherever we are so it doesn't matter where we go. As long as we're together, it's good enough."

"Wow, really?" Riki blushed. "Thanks, but it's not like we have to go on vacation anyway. Just being here is enough for me."

"Maybe someday, huh?" Kyousuke kissed him on the lips. "Alright, we'll go swimming soon. First, I just got to finish that manga."


	17. Sickness

Riki plunged the washcloth into the basin, soaking it in the cold water. He lifted it out and wrung out the excess water before placing it across Kyousuke's forehead. "There we go. That feels nice, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Kyousuke rasped. He opened his eyes for a few seconds to look up at Riki. They soon fluttered shut again and he sighed. "I'm so tired."

"That's quite the nasty fever you have, isn't it?" Riki gave him a sympathetic look. He reached out to touch Kyousuke's cheek, finding it hot to the touch. "Luckily, you have me here to take care of you. I'll get you back on your feet in no time at all."

Kyousuke getting sick wasn't something that happened very often. He was always so strong and dependable, and when he did get sick, he was usually stubborn enough to ignore it and play together with everyone anyway. However, this fever had completely defeated him, leaving him so weak that he couldn't even protest.

"Mmm. I'm glad." Kyousuke's lips cracked into a weak smile. "I love having you with me."

"Ehe... yeah, me too."

"You're so cute, Riki."

Riki blushed. "Geez, you're saying such embarrassing things all of a sudden. Anyway, you shouldn't talk too much. Save your energy, alright?"

"Okay..."

"You think you can eat some fruit?" Riki picked up the bowl of mashed apples he had prepared earlier. He saw Kyousuke give a slight nod so he spooned up a portion of apples and inserted them into Kyousuke's open mouth. Kyousuke slowly chewed and swallowed. "Good. Now have some more."

Riki continued to feed Kyousuke, watching him with a gentle smile. A thought occurred to him that this was the first time he'd ever fed Kyousuke like this. Wow, what an embarrassing thought to have all of a sudden. It was so unusual, nursing him like this. Ever since that day he joined the Little Busters, they had always been the ones taking care of Riki, especially when he would fall asleep all the time. Riki could remember many a time when Kyousuke, Rin, Masato or Kengo had kept a vigil by his bedside, Kyousuke especially. He would wake up and hold Kyousuke's offered hand. It always felt so warm and reassuring.

"Had enough?" Riki asked when Kyousuke shook his head. "Alright." He put the bowl down and held Kyousuke's hand. "You just have a nice, long sleep now and get better."

"Yeah." Kyousuke closed his eyes. "Thanks."

"No need to thank me." Riki leaned over and kissed Kyousuke's forehead, just beneath the washcloth. "Have a good sleep now." He sat back in the chair, watching the steady rise and fall of Kyousuke's chest.


	18. Storm

Lightning arced across the sky, illuminating the darkness with a brilliant flash. Riki pressed his nose against the glass, peering through the drizzling rivulets of rain water cascading down the window. He couldn't see much out there, not that there would really be anything to see outside during a storm like this at night. What a troublesome storm this was, even causing the power to go out. There wasn't much to do at a time like this. He heard a low rumble in the distance and sighed. How long was this going to last?

A beam of light glanced off the window and Riki turned around. Kyousuke came over with a flashlight in hand and sat down next to him.

"Quite a storm we're having, huh?" Kyousuke looked out the window. "It's pretty exciting."

Riki smiled in bemusement. Kyousuke had always thought that way about storms. There wasn't much that could actually get Kyousuke down. Even a blackout couldn't dampen his spirits. If he wanted to read manga, he'd do it with a flashlight. If that went out, he'd just find something else to do. He was always thinking of something for them all to do in situations like this so, even with the power out, there was hardly any danger of them getting bored.

"Too bad about the power going out though."

"Then we'll just have to find something to do to pass the time," Kyousuke replied. "You're not going to have much fun just staring out of the window."

"You've always been so good at thinking of things to do." Riki still wasn't sure how he did it. Kyousuke really was gifted with an amazing imagination. "I'm glad you're here."

Kyousuke slipped his arm around Riki's shoulders and pulled him close. Riki relaxed against his chest and closed his eyes. Kyousuke's body felt so warm and comforting. It was easy to forget about things such as storms and blackouts like this. He really was so grateful for Kyousuke's presence. 

Kyousuke bent his head down to kiss Riki's forehead. Looking at Riki's peaceful face, he smiled. "It's not so bad just sitting together like this either."

"Yeah," Riki murmured.

Kyousuke started stroking Riki's soft hair, continuing to gaze at him. Thunder boomed once more and he glanced at the window.

"I doubt we'll be getting much sleep tonight with such a noisy storm like this."

"Guess not."

"Oh well, it's fine if we're together like this. We'll stay in each other's arms all night." Kyousuke put his arms around Riki, cheek resting on his head. "How about that?"

"Mmm, sure. That sounds nice."

"Okay." Kyousuke closed his eyes and the two remained like that for a while, saying nothing as they listened to the raging storm.


	19. New Job

"Kyousuke, hi. It's good to hear from you."

"Hey, Riki." Just the sound of Kyousuke's voice made Riki's spirits lift. He really did miss having Kyousuke around all the time. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. Everything's great." Riki clutched the cellphone tighter. If only he could actually be there next to Kyousuke right now. "It's great to hear from you." He'd talk like this forever if he could. "I miss you."

"Yeah. Don't pine for me too much, alright?"

Riki's face flushed. "I- I'm not! I... I mean, I just..." Ahh, why did Kyousuke always say such embarrassing things? "Anyway, you started your new job, didn't you?" He quickly tried to change the subject before it could get too awkward. "How is it so far?"

"Oh, yeah. It's going well so far. My co-workers have been pretty helpful with getting me settled in and they're all friendly. I think I'm going to fit in just fine."

"That's good. You've really taken your first step into the adult world now, huh." Riki felt that familiar pang. Kyousuke had already gone on ahead of them and Riki would still have a year of school left. "I'll be catching up with you in a year."

"Yeah. It will be over before you know it, though, so enjoy what you've got left."

"I know. It seems like the older you get, the faster time flies by." Riki was going to make sure this last year was as fun as possible, even if Kyousuke wasn't here. He knew Kyousuke was expecting it of him so he was going to do his best. "We're going to have a lot of fun, I promise. I'll do the best I can as the leader of the Little Busters."

"That's more like it. I'd hate to think you were sitting in a corner all day long, thinking about how much you missed me. You haven't been crying, have you?"

"No." Well, he might have teared up a bit when Kyousuke left, but surely that was excusable. Everyone else had tears in their eyes too anyway. "I do miss you though. I can't do anything about that."

Kyousuke exhaled. "Guess not. Anyway, I'll still call you and I'll visit now and then so there's that."

"It's not really the same though." Riki thought about how he wanted Kyousuke to be right there in front of him, to wrap his arms round him and hold on tight, putting his face in Kyousuke's chest. He wasn't going to mention any of that though. It would be rather childish and he was supposed to be more mature now.

"By the way, I miss you too."

Riki's hand tightened around the phone and he pressed his lips together, holding back the surge of emotion welling up inside.

"I'd love to be with you right now more than anything. I'm feeling the same way you do. So, you don't have to feel guilty about it or anything. Of course it's going to be hard, but I'm sure you'll be fine, won't you? Everyone else is with you."

"Mmm."

"So, just do your best to keep your spirits up. If you get down, everyone will worry about you, me included. That wouldn't be any good."

"Yeah. You've got your new job now. I can't be troubling you." Riki let out out a small laugh. "Good luck with that. I hope it goes well for you."

"Thanks. Take care of yourself. Tell everyone I said hi."

"Sure. You take care too."


	20. Bad Day

Kyousuke came through the front door and leaned against it, pushing it shut with the weight of his body. His shoulders slumped and he expelled a loud sigh.

"Kyousuke?" Riki came out of another room. "You're back. Welcome home." The smile on his face faded as he took in the sight of Kyousuke's sagging body and drawn face. "You look really tired. It was a long day, huh?"

"Hey, Riki." Kyousuke's mouth lifted up into a weak smile. "Yeah, it was. I'm so glad to see you." He yawned. "Feels like I was gone a hundred years."

Riki looked sympathetic. "I take it you had a really hard day at work today?"

Kyousuke could only nod in response. He looked dangerously close to falling asleep on his feet.

"Oh dear. Come on and sit down then. You look like you really need a good rest." Riki took Kyousuke's hand and pulled him into the living room. 

Kyousuke sank down into the couch with a look of relief. "Ahh. I'm so exhausted."

"Do you want me to get you some coffee?"

"No, not yet." Kyousuke grabbed Riki's hand and gently pulled him in. Riki ended up lying across him. "I just want to have a snuggle." He wrapped his arms around Riki.

"Okay." Riki shifted around until he was more comfortable. He buried his face in the crook of Kyousuke's shoulder, slipping his arms around his body. 

"I feel much better already." Kyousuke smiled in contentment. "After a long day at work, there's nothing quite like coming home to see you."

Riki's face flushed lightly. "Eh, really..."

"Yeah, I looked forward to it all day."

Riki's blush deepened. "Now you're embarrassing me. You really did have a rough time today, didn't you?" It wasn't often that Kyousuke came home looking this exhausted so he knew it had to have been pretty bad.

"Yeah, it was even busier than usual. I felt like I was going to collapse."

"Work's pretty demanding, isn't it? I'd better find a job soon. I feel bad not having one yet while you're working so hard. Then I'll have days just like this."

"Yeah. Well, let's not talk about work." Kyousuke stroked Riki's hair and kissed him. "I love you so much."

"Mmm, I love you too."

After a few minutes of quietly lying in each other's arms, Riki felt Kyousuke's body slacken and looked up at his face. His eyes were closed. It appeared that he had fallen asleep.

"You really were tired, weren't you?" Riki whispered. He carefully extracted himself from Kyousuke's arms and pulled a blanket over him. "Sleep well." For now, he'd let Kyousuke sleep. Dinner could wait. In the meantime, he was content to sit next to him and watch that peaceful sleeping face of his.


	21. Hospital

The darkness swept over him. It was the same as always. His body swayed and he tried to say something, his hand uselessly grasping at the air, before he was disconnected from the world. The last thing he heard was the dull thud of his body hitting the ground. 

Riki awoke to that familiar world of white, a world he had woken up to so many times since the day he lost his parents. He had lost count of the number of times he'd had a narcolepsy attack and woken up in this place a long time ago.

"Uh..." Riki moaned.

"You're awake?"

Riki turned his head and saw Kyousuke sitting there next to the bed. He automatically reached out and Kyousuke took Riki's hand in his. Riki was immediately soothed by his warm hold.

"I fell asleep again, huh."

"Yeah. You hit your head pretty hard."

That certainly explained the dull throbbing at the back of his head. Riki inwardly winced. Of course, he knew his narcolepsy could be dangerous but he hadn't allowed himself to become too worried about it. Besides, with Kyousuke there, he always felt like he didn't have to worry about anything. 

"They even had to put stitches in. You're going to be okay. We were a bit worried when we saw the blood though. Guess we're going to have to work a bit harder on our reflexes."

"I see." Riki's grip tightened a little and Kyousuke gave him a reassuring squeeze in return. "Well, it could have been a lot worse."

"Yeah." Kyousuke put his other hand on Riki's bandaged head and caressed his hair. "Don't worry, Riki. We'll always do our best to protect you."

Those reassuring words washed Riki's concerns away. As long as Kyousuke and the others were around, he felt like he would be safe, no matter what.

"I'm so glad you're with me." Seeing Kyousuke smile, Riki once again thought how nice it would be if the two of them could be together forever.


	22. Neighbors

"Hmm, what's that sound?" Riki pressed his ear against the wall. "Oh, by the way, Kyousuke, did you know we have new neighbors? I saw them moving in today."

"Have we?" Kyousuke came over. "You know, it's not very polite to eavesdrop on your neighbors. On the other hand, you never know what you might learn. So, anything interesting? It would be pretty cool if they were spies."

"I think spies know better than to talk loudly enough for their neighbors to hear them. Anyway, I wasn't eavesdropping. I was just wondering what that music was, that's all. Those are some strange lyrics."

"Hm?" Kyousuke leaned against the wall to listen. "Huh, yeah, never heard a song like that before. I wonder what they are doing. Dancing to the music, maybe?"

"Dancing?" Riki repeated, cocking an eyebrow. That seemed like a strange thing to do right after moving in. 

"We should do that too."

"Uh... right now?"

"Hmph. I'm not going to lose to them."

"What are you even talking about?"

"We ought to live a little, don't you think?" Kyousuke went over to the CD player and selected a CD to put in. As the music flowed, he grabbed hold of Riki's hands. "Come on, let's dance too."

"Wait, what if they hear us? They might think we're copying them on purpose!"

"Yeah, so?"

"Isn't that kind of... er..."

"Oh, stop worrying about what other people think already." Kyousuke grinned and started twirling around with him. Riki let himself fall into step with Kyousuke, knowing better than to try and resist. It was actually pretty exhilarating, dancing around their apartment like this.

"You do realize we're not in a competition with the neighbors, right?"

"What does it matter so long as we're having fun?"

It was a childish remark, one typical of Kyousuke, and Riki really couldn't argue with it.


	23. Driving

"Do you even know where you're going?" Riki gazed out the window, watching the scenery whizz past. Kyousuke hadn't said anything about a particular destination. All he knew was that it was supposed to be a road trip. Kyousuke had been driving for well over an hour now.

"Of course not." Kyousuke looked straight ahead at the road. "That's part of the fun. It's a road trip full of mystery and excitement. Who knows where we'll end up?"

"So that was what you meant, huh?" Riki's expression turned to one of worry. "Hey, don't go getting lost, okay?"

"Don't worry. Our hearts will surely guide us."

"I think a map would be more reliable."

"Where's the fun in that? It's so much more exciting when you have no idea where you're going."

"Oh boy." Riki exhaled, leaning back against the seat. Though he had his reservations about Kyousuke being so reckless, he couldn't help wondering where they might end up. No doubt Kyousuke would be able to find something incredible. 

And it really was. Standing at the edge of a radiant field of flowers, tinted gold by the light of the setting sun, and watching the fireflies gather, Riki was awed at his ability to find a view as amazing as this. It was memorable for sure.

Kyousuke stood next to him and held out a camera, snapping a shot of them together in front of the flowers. "A memento of our first road trip as a couple."

Riki peered at the screen, seeing their smiling faces in the picture. "That looks pretty good." He looked at Kyousuke, smiling even more. "We should do this again sometime."

"Of course. We're going to make a lot more memories together." Kyousuke kissed Riki's forehead. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Yeah, me too."


	24. Books

"I brought you some books I thought you might like, Naoe-san." Mio held out a small pile of books. "I hope they will be to your liking."

"Thanks." Riki took them from her. "Seems I'll have quite a bit of reading to do."

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow in class."

"Yeah, see you."

Riki sat down on the bed with the books and began thumbing through them. As he lifted the cover of a particularly large and thick book, another book slipped out. This one was much thinner and bound with glossy paper. It reminded him of Kyousuke's manga, though it had far fewer pages than a typical manga volume. Perhaps it was one of those fan made manga Kyousuke sometimes bought at conventions.

"A doujinshi?" Riki stared at the cover. "Did Nishizono-san give me this by accident?" He examined the illustration. Judging by how the two people on the cover were embracing each other, he was guessing it was some kind of romance story. Riki knew he probably shouldn't be looking through something he might have been given by accident, but he was too curious to avoid looking through it. He started leafing through the pages..

"So, these two are guys? Whoah, a love confession between guys?" Riki paused on a full page illustration of the two males kissing. The sudden thought occurred to him that these two somewhat resembled him and Kyousuke, and his face turned hot. "Uwaaah, what am I thinking?!" He clutched his head. "No, no, no, that's completely absurd. Why did I go and have such a thought? So what if they look a bit like us... gosh, what a weird thought I just had."

"Hey, Riki, let's do something together."

Of all the times for Kyousuke to come into his room unannounced...

Riki practically had steam spurting out of his ears as he looked up at Kyousuke's face. Why did he have to turn up right at this very moment?

"What's wrong, you've gone all red. Hey, is that a manga you're reading?"

Riki's gaze dropped to the page with the two kissing boys. "Wha... I... uh... no, no, no, this isn't... I mean..." He closed the book. "Ahahaha, it seems I was given this by accident so-"

"How come you're acting so weird? Let me see." Kyousuke reached for it.

"No, you can't!" Riki threw his body down on it. "This is Nishizono-san's private property! It's a violation of her privacy!"

"You were reading it just now, weren't you?"

"Uh." Riki could hardly deny it.

"Come on, I want to see. It's okay, I won't tell anyone."

"Nope."

"Please?" Kyousuke sat down on the bed.

"No!"

"I want to see what got you so embarrassed. Is it hentai or something? C'mon." Kyousuke slipped his hands beneath Riki and began tickling him.

"Uwaaaaah! N-no, stop!" Riki wriggled and burst into helpless laughter. Kyousuke's tickles had always been lethal. This action resulted in him accidentally exposing the doujinshi, which Kyousuke grabbed. "Hey! Gosh, you really do play dirty sometimes." He sat up, shooting Kyousuke an indignant look.

Kyousuke was already flipping through the pages. "It's boy love, huh? As expected of Nishizono. So, you were embarrassed to be caught reading this kind of thing, Riki?"

"I..." Riki pressed his lips together. How could he possibly tell Kyousuke that the characters in the manga had reminded him of the two of them? It felt like a desecration of their friendship. He couldn't admit to having such impure thoughts.

"Could it be, you were enjoying it?" Kyousuke leaned in, putting his face close to Riki's.

"N-no..." Riki's heart started thumping. Did he really need to be so close?

"It's okay, you can admit it. I won't judge you."

"I'm telling you, you've got the wrong idea!" Riki's face grew even hotter.

"You're being awfully defensive. There's nothing wrong with being into that kind of thing, you know. Actually, I wouldn't mind."

Wait, what did that even mean? Riki's head started to spin from the possibilities while he spluttered. Could Kyousuke be suggesting... no, he couldn't let his imagination get out of control like that. He was about to speak but then Kyousuke got up.

"Man, teasing you is just way too much fun." Kyousuke grinned. "So, want to come out to town with me? Maybe we can find some more BL manga for you since you seem to like it so much."

Riki dropped his head in his hands.

"Oh, come on, I was only kidding. Don't get mad. You coming?"

"Yeah, sure." Riki stuffed the doujinshi back into the pile of books. He just hoped Mio wouldn't notice she had given it to him by mistake, otherwise things could get a bit awkward.


	25. Argument

"Hey, Riki, are you still upset?" Kyousuke came over to the couch, directing a concerned look at Riki who had been sitting in that same spot for a while now. Riki was hugging his legs to his chest and staring into space. When he heard Kyousuke speaking, he looked up with sad eyes.

"Kyousuke..."

"Hey, come on, I don't like to see you like this." Kyousuke placed a hand on Riki's head and ruffled his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you were going to get so upset about it. It was only an idea."

"No, it's fine." Riki shook his head, releasing a deep breath. "I just overreacted a bit, I guess. You don't have to apologize for anything."

Kyousuke sat down next to him and put an arm over his shoulders.

"I just feel bad about it. I mean, we've almost never had arguments with each other and I don't like having them either, especially with you, Kyousuke."

"I don't either. You know, even people who are really close to each other can disagree and have arguments with each other now and then. It's hardly the end of the world so cheer up. Let's just kiss and make up, and put this behind us, yeah?"

"Mmm." Riki nodded, leaning in to give Kyousuke a kiss. They wrapped their arms around each other and melted into a comforting embrace.


	26. Separation

The times when he had to be separated from Kyousuke had always been pretty tough. Now that the two of them were going out with each other, their times spent apart were even harder for Riki. All he wanted was to be in Kyousuke's presence, to be held by his arms and to kiss him, running their hands through each other's hair and telling each other how much they loved each other-

"Argh." Riki grabbed his head, making a frustrated sound. At this rate, he wasn't going to get any homework done if he kept thinking about Kyousuke.

Kyousuke's need to go out there and search for a job could hardly be helped and so he'd just have to deal with it. If he couldn't handle this, how would he be able to cope when Kyousuke graduated? Riki slumped onto his desk and tapped his notebook with his pen, emitting a sigh.

"What's the matter, Riki?" Masato spoke up from the corner of the room where he was training with weights. "Is your lack of muscle getting you down?"

Well, at least he had Masato's stupid comments to cheer him up.

"Of course not."

"Kyousuke wouldn't want you to be gloomy every time he goes looking for a job, you know."

"Yeah. I'll call Rin and Kengo over later. It would be nice to do something fun together." At least with his other friends around, Riki could count on them to ease his sadness over Kyousuke not being around.

Riki's phone buzzed and he picked it up, seeing that he'd received a message from Kyousuke.

'Roses are red and violets are blue. I'm always thinking of you.'

Riki snorted, a wide grin spreading across his face. It might have been a ridiculously corny message, but it definitely lifted his spirits.


	27. Flowers

Kyousuke coming down to the window was hardly an unusual sight, except that this time he was clutching a bouquet of flowers in one arm. The class noticed this and a hubbub of voices rose up.

Riki stared at him with his mouth hanging open. Had Kyousuke actually snuck out of the school to go and buy those flowers? That was being incredibly reckless. He had to admit though, he was pretty impressed. If anyone could pull it off and get away with it, it had to be Kyousuke. 

Kyousuke hopped off the sill and walked up to Riki's desk. He thrust the flowers out toward him.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Riki."

He'd seriously gone to all this trouble for Valentine's Day. Typical Kyousuke. The voices were getting even louder now and Riki hoped they weren't going to end up catching the attention of some passing teacher. There would definitely be questions and he didn't want Kyousuke getting into trouble.

"Wow, you really shouldn't have." Riki took the flowers from Kyousuke. His face had turned a brilliant scarlet. "What if you got caught?"

"Taking risks now and then is just a part of enjoying your youth."

"Uh..." What kind of a reason was that, Riki wondered.

"Anyway, you like it?"

Riki looked at the flowers. It certainly was an elegant looking bouquet and must have cost a fair bit. "Yeah, thank you, Kyousuke." 

Riki thought of the present he had been planning to give to Kyousuke. It was nowhere near as impressive as what Kyousuke had given him though. He'd wanted to hand it over somewhere more private, but seeing as Kyousuke had already gone and given him a present in front of the entire class, he might as well just do it here. He took the brightly wrapped packet of homemade chocolates from his desk and held them out. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Several members of the class were making sounds of awe and admiration. They really were enjoying this spectacle, weren't they? Come to think of it, Riki thought he could hear a camera clicking away somewhere in his own row.

"Chocolates? Are these homemade?"

Riki nodded.

"Great, I can't wait to try them. Well then, I'll see you later."

Riki watched Kyousuke climb back up the rope then looked around the classroom, seeing several pairs of eyes on him.

"Man, you two really are a total couple," Masato said. "I think you'd better put those flowers away before a teacher sees them though."

"Yeah." Just for a few minutes though, Riki wanted to hide himself behind the flowers. As he shielded his burning face, he couldn't help smiling in spite of his embarrassment. What an incredible boyfriend he had.


	28. Late

"You'll be late for work if you don't get a move on."

"Surely they can spare me a few minutes." Kyousuke made absolutely no effort to move from his position. He liked it this way, holding Riki close to him beneath the bedclothes, and hardly wanted to break away. Kyousuke's lips brushed over Riki's forehead. "Why don't we just stay like this all morning? That would be nice."

Indeed, Riki had to agree that it would be nice. He was enjoying lying here with his head against Kyousuke's chest and basking in his warmth and would have liked nothing more than to snuggle with him for the rest of the morning, but he also realised what a completely insensible idea that would be.

"It took you a long time to get yourself a job. I'm also pretty sure cuddling your boyfriend is not an acceptable reason for being late. Come on."

"Nah."

Riki let out an exaggerated sigh and extracted himself from Kyousuke's arms.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kyousuke flailed at the air.

"To make breakfast."

Kyousuke sat up, sticking out his lower lip. "You're so obstinate, Riki."

"Yeah, I know." Riki flashed him a sunny smile as he left the bedroom.

Kyousuke exhaled, a smile forming on his face. Well, someone had to be the sensible one in the relationship. Sometimes, though, it was just a little tempting to forget about the adult world for a while.


	29. Kitchen Table

Riki was just about to start eating when he noticed Kyousuke staring intently at him across the kitchen table. "Hm, what is it?"

"I was just thinking, we haven't actually tried doing that yet."

"Eh?" Riki cocked his head. "Doing what?"

"This." Kyousuke picked up a roll of sushi with his chopsticks and waved it in front of Riki's face. "Open wide."

"Eh... uh..." Riki automatically did as he was asked and the roll of sushi was crammed into his mouth. He hastily chewed it up and swallowed. "That was pretty random."

"I just thought we should try it. This is a thing couples do together, you know. Also, I saw a scene like that in the manga I read today."

"Oh. That figures."

"My turn." Kyousuke opened his mouth.

"Y-you want me to feed you too?"

"Yeah, of course. This is a couple thing after all."

"Okay, okay." Riki picked up a piece of sushi and placed it in Kyousuke's mouth.

"Yum." Kyousuke licked his lips. He picked up another piece. "Here comes more."

In the end, their plates were empty and they had ended up feeding the entirety of their sushi to each other. Kyousuke patted his stomach with a satisfied smile. "Doing couple things like this together is great."

"Mmm, yeah." Riki rested his cheek in his hand, smiling at Kyousuke. Whatever other random things Kyousuke thought of doing, he sure looked forward to them.


	30. Mowing the Lawn

In the shade of the tree that shielded them from the scorching sun, Kyousuke and Riki held on to each other. The distant sounds of passing traffic, someone mowing their lawn and faint voices did nothing to disturb their peace.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm dreaming."

"It's real," Kyousuke whispered into Riki's ear. "You're not dreaming, I promise. You believe me, right?"

"Yeah." Riki looked up, his eyes meeting Kyousuke's. "Always."

"Good." Kyousuke put his lips against Riki's, leaving them there in a lingering kiss. When he pulled away, he caressed Riki's cheek with his thumb. "I wouldn't want you spend your life worrying about it."

"I know." Riki closed his eyes and snuggled against Kyousuke, a contented smile forming on his face. Right now, with his arms around Kyousuke and Kyousuke's warm hand gently stroking his head, he felt secure. There were no worries to be had, not as long as they were with each other.


	31. Lake

"Here we are." Kyousuke approached the lake, scanning the glistening surface with his gaze. "Nice day to go out on the lake, isn't it?"

"So this was what you had in mind?" Riki stood next to him, viewing the lake. There was nobody else to be seen out there. Nearby, he could see a row of boats gently bobbing up and down next to the dock.

They got a rental boat and set out onto the lake. Kyousuke had control of the oars and carefully guided the boat through the water. Riki glanced over the side of the boat. The water was so clear, he could see his face in the rippling surface.

"Hmm, I wonder if we could go swimming."

"I don't think it's warm enough for that. Besides, we didn't bring any swimming things," Riki pointed out. "Just going out on the boat is fine."

"Alright." Kyousuke looked out over the lake. "It's so peaceful, huh. Feels nice. Just the two of us, out here on the lake. We haven't gone out in a boat like this since we were kids."

"Oh, I remember that time. Masato and Kengo ended up falling in the lake and catching colds." Riki smiled at the memory. "We always used to have so much fun together." He slung his arm over the side of the boat, letting his fingers drift in the cool water, and looked up to the sky. "It sure is awfully quiet when they aren't around."

"Yeah, you're right. It would be nice if they could all be with us but everyone's got their own thing to do as adults now." Kyousuke's expression turned wistful. "At least we can see them now and then. Anyway, we're still having a good time when it's just the two of us."

"True. Though, to be honest, I still feel a little... hmm, I don't know how to explain it really. It just feels like they should be with us sometimes."

"I think I can understand." Kyousuke fell silent for a moment. "How about skinny dipping? We don't need swimming things for that."

"No! We'll definitely get into trouble! And I told you, it's too cold!"

"Hmph. Who's going to see us?"

"The guy running the shop, maybe. What if he looks out the window and sees us swimming naked?"

"Like he's going to be able to see anything from all the way over there. Come on, you should try being daring once in a while."

"We'll probably get banned. Are you alright with that?"

"Let's get in already." Kyousuke was already standing up and stripping off his clothes.

"Oh my god, you're really going to..." Actually, Riki realized, he wasn't really all that surprised. Typical Kyousuke and his crazy ideas.

"Yahoo!" Kyousuke leaped over the side of the boat.

Riki yelped as he was assailed by a small shower of water droplets. "You could have just climbed out, you know." He removed his clothes too, his heart pounding. If someone saw them right now, there would probably be trouble. Riki tried not to think about it and joined Kyousuke in the water, gasping at how cold it was.

"I can't believe we're doing this."

"Haha, isn't this fun?" Kyousuke, in contrast, seemed quite cheerful. He started swimming around the boat. "I haven't been swimming in ages."

Riki watched him swim with a bemused smile. Maybe it wasn't so bad to just let go of his worries and enjoy himself once in a while. He kicked off and swam after Kyousuke.


	32. Sex

"Aaaaah." Riki expelled a sigh from deep within as he laid his head against Kyousuke's chest. His eyes slid shut as he basked in the warmth radiating from Kyousuke's sweat soaked body. That particular session of lovemaking had left him drained of energy and he felt ready to fall asleep in Kyousuke's arms any second now.

Kyousuke placed his hand on Riki's head, stroking his dark locks of hair. "You enjoy that?"

"Of course." Every time, Riki was completely blown away. Doing the deed with Kyousuke always left him with a sense of bliss and sheer euphoria.

"Good to know. Hmm, I just thought, isn't having sex in bed getting a bit old? I feel like we should try something new for a change."

Riki could sense another one of Kyousuke's random ideas looming on the horizon. Whatever Kyousuke came up with, it was bound to be completely unpredictable. He steeled himself for whatever insanity Kyousuke might be about to suggest.

"What about you, Riki, do you have any ideas?"

Oh, so he was willing to hear some sane suggestions first. What a relief, Riki thought.

"Eh, I really don't know. The shower? If that's not adventurous enough for you, then maybe the beach. Although it would definitely have to be at night. We'd risk getting caught during the daytime."

"I see, those aren't some bad suggestions, but don't you think we ought to try somewhere more exciting?"

"I hope you're not suggesting somewhere we could get caught. We'd probably get arrested."

"Haha, but wouldn't that just make it even more exciting?" Kyousuke grinned. He saw the horrified look on Riki's face and chuckled. "I'm just kidding."

Riki released a sigh of relief. Sometimes, it really was difficult to know when Kyousuke was kidding or being serious. "Anyway, where we have it doesn't really matter so long as it's good, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Let's try the shower next time then."


	33. Moonlight

"We've got a nice view here." Kyousuke seated himself down on the grassy slope and Riki sat next to him. Kyousuke's arm slipped over Riki's shoulders and they snuggled together, looking at the shining lights far below.

"It's so quiet, isn't it?" Riki commented. "The whole world seems so different at night." He thought of the town down below. In the daytime, he expected the streets would be bustling with people. At this time, however, the people would be in their homes, eating dinner and watching television, leaving the streets dark and empty.

"It's nice to be able to appreciate simple things like this once in a while, don't you think?"

Riki looked up, seeing the wistful smile on Kyousuke's face illuminated by the moonlight. "Yeah. I think so too."

"Sometimes, people don't even realize what they are missing out on until it's too late."

"Mmm." Riki nodded. Kyousuke's words had a sobering effect, reminding him how lucky they were to be sharing this moment together right now. "You got that second chance though, Kyousuke."

"Yeah." Kyousuke rested his cheek against Riki's head. "There are still so many things we haven't seen or done yet, even after everything we've done together. We should try to do as much as we can."

"That would be nice. I hope we'll be able to spend many years with each other. To be together, forever... that's all I really want."

"Me too."


	34. Naked

Riki got into the bath and pulled his legs to his chest, ensuring there was plenty of space. He rested his chin on his knees, hearing Kyousuke get in behind him. Kyousuke scooted forward, putting his legs around Riki's hips and embracing his skinny torso. His chin rested on Riki's shoulder.

It felt quite nice to be pressing their naked bodies together in the steaming water like this. Riki released a sigh of pleasure and leaned back, rubbing his cheek against Kyousuke's. Kyousuke started kissing his neck.

"Ahh..."

Kyousuke always felt a thrill when he managed to elicit these kinds of sounds from Riki. It was always fascinating to see what kind of noise he might make. His hands disappeared into the water.

Riki gasped and wriggled in Kyousuke's hold, his face turning even redder. "What are you doing while we're in the bath?" Not that he minded, honestly.

"I just love hearing you make those noises, that's all."

Riki turned his head, seeing Kyousuke's wide grin. "Is it really that fun?"

"Yeah."

"Geez."

Kyousuke lay back against the tub, gently pulling Riki down on top of him. Riki snuggled against him and closed his eyes, a wide smile spreading over his face. The combination of Kyousuke's soft body and the steaming water was lovely. It would be nice if he could stay like this for a long time.


	35. Deception

While Kyousuke wears the mask on his face, he is the leader of the Darkness Executives, Tokikaze Shun. It is important that he keeps this deception going at all times. Under no circumstances is Riki allowed to find out just who he really is.

So far, Riki has never even suspected it during their brief encounters while he's in this guise. There's never been anything to worry about, until right this moment, and suddenly this act of his is really inconvenient.

It's so hard to keep himself composed when he's seeing Riki right in front of him, actually wearing a girl's uniform. Sure, he's already seen Riki dressed up like that thanks to Kurugaya, but that's not the only thing. That twin tailed wig just makes Riki look even more adorable than usual. He's struggling to hold back any kind of comment that could expose himself.

If he could, he would be whipping out his phone and taking another picture to add to his collection, but that would be going much too far. He has to try and act natural.

Riki's just so cute though, looking so nervous while he's wearing that getup. It takes every ounce of willpower Kyousuke has to raise his gun and speak as the leader of the Darkness Executives.


	36. Lies

Riki tries his best to keep up the facade. He thinks of fun things for them all to do together. When they smile and laugh, so does he. The days pass by and he remains strong for all of them. He can't let Kyousuke down, no matter what.

Sometimes he'll become lost in his thoughts of Kyousuke, still comatose in the hospital, and the gnawing worry inside of him will emerge. Even though he's trying so hard to be strong, it's impossible to ignore that gaping hole left inside by Kyousuke's absence.

On occasion, Masato or Rin notice him in these moods but he quickly assures them that he's fine whenever they ask. 

In truth, those assurances are really lies deep down. Riki doesn't like lying to his friends but he can't show the weakness he's bottling up inside of him. Every day he prays for Kyousuke's safe return, and hopes it won't be much longer.

Komari comes to him one day, and hands him a notebook. She tells him he should try writing in it and maybe it will help. It comes as a surprise. Maybe he hasn't been hiding his weakness as well as he hoped.

He does as Komari suggests. At the end of every day, he starts a new page and writes a letter to Kyousuke. He tells him about everything that happened that day, how much he's thinking about and misses him, and reaffirms how much he looks forward to the day Kyousuke will return. At the end of every letter, he signs off with 'love, Riki'.

Riki finds that it really is helping, and even starts a new one once it's full.


	37. Disgrace

Riki had got up early one Sunday morning and thought, what better thing to do than pay Kyousuke a surprise visit? He knew he wasn't working today and after a quick trip on the bus, here he was outside Kyousuke's apartment.

His initial knock on the door went unanswered. That was strange. Riki pressed his ear against the door. He could hear something inside the apartment, probably the television. So Kyousuke had to be in there. Fearing for Kyousuke's well being, he pushed the door open.

"Sorry for the intrusion." Riki ventured into the apartment, moving toward the sound of the television. Looking at the television, he saw an anime episode playing. He peered over the couch and saw Kyousuke lying across the sofa with his arms wrapped around something. It appeared to be some kind of pillow.

"You were sleeping with the door unlocked?" Riki muttered, shaking his head. "How careless." He gently shook Kyousuke's shoulder. 

"Mmm?" Kyousuke turned his head, peering through slitted eyes. "What is it, Riki?"

"You're still half-asleep, aren't you? You forgot to lock your door, you know. That's dangerous."

"Eh? Wait a minute..." Kyousuke turned over, and Riki got a good look at the pillow he was holding onto. 

"Uwaaah? What's that on your pillow?" Riki leaned in, peering at it. Now that he was getting a good look at it, he could see an anime style girl clearly depicted on it. "Kyousuke, you actually have a dakimakura?"

Kyousuke looked down at the dakimakura, then back at Riki, his eyes growing wide.

"I'm going to brew some coffee." Riki felt he could do with some right now. He went into the kitchen, hearing Kyousuke's scream of despair behind him.

A minute later, Kyousuke stumbled into the kitchen, looking utterly distraught. "What a disgrace," he moaned. "To think I was caught."

"So... a dakimakura, huh?"

"It... it's not like that!" Kyousuke exclaimed, his eyes flashing with panic. "I'm not... I mean... it's just a pillow, that's all. It doesn't mean anything! She could never compare to you, Riki!"

"Calm down, Kyousuke." Riki raised an eyebrow. "I'm not jealous of a pillow."

"Oh." Kyousuke exhaled, his shoulders loosening. "Phew. That's a relief."

"I was pretty surprised, but thinking about it, I guess it's not really too strange you'd have one." Riki reached for the mugs. "You want some coffee?"

"Yeah."

"So, what were you doing sleeping on the couch with the door unlocked?"

"There's an anime marathon on, and since I didn't have to work today, I ended up falling asleep. I fell asleep during an anime marathon and got caught with my dakimakura. Wow, I just feel so ashamed."

"There, there. Have some coffee." Riki handed him a mug.

"It seriously feels like you're living here too." Kyousuke sat down.

"Does it?" Riki sat at the table as well. "Sorry for coming in like that, but you weren't answering and I could hear the TV inside. When I found that the door was unlocked, I got worried."

"Sorry about that."

"You should be more careful. You're not at school anymore after all."

"Yeah, I didn't exactly plan on falling asleep in the first place. Work is pretty tiring. It's not so easy to pull all-nighters."

"The adult world seems harsh," Riki commented, taking a sip of his coffee. "It must be lonely living on your own."

"Well, yeah, it kinda is. Hold on, you're not thinking I'm so lonely, I've become desperate and am seeking comfort from a body pillow, are you?"

"No, no, no." Riki waved a hand. "I wasn't thinking that at all. Honest."

"Okay. Please don't tell anyone."

"My lips are sealed. I'm always just a phone call away, if you want to talk. Well, except when I'm in class."

"Yeah. Seriously, I'm okay."

"Good." Riki smiled. "Now then, shall we think of something to do today?"


	38. Work

"Riki, you're finally awake."

"Eh?" Riki had just opened his eyes to the morning sun and was startled to hear Kyousuke's voice. In his sleepy state, it took several seconds to process his words. "Huh, what do you mean finally?"

"I've been up for half an hour already. Your sleeping face is so cute, I just can't bring myself to wake you up. Anyway, guess what?" Kyousuke hopped on top of Riki, causing the bed to bounce.

"What?" Riki decided not to pay attention to the embarrassing comment, being thoroughly used to it by now, and peered up at Kyousuke's grinning face. He sure did have a lot of energy this morning.

"I don't have to go into work today."

"Oh. Right."

"Yeah, so we've got the day all to ourselves. Come on, what are you waiting for?"

"Do you hate work that much?"

"What? No. I'm just excited that we get to have the whole day together. We have to do something super fun today." Kyousuke bounced up and down again.

"You're acting like a hyperactive five year old." Riki rubbed his eyes. "Give me a moment."

"I'm going to make a special breakfast for both of us, so don't take too long." Kyousuke planted a swift kiss on his cheek.

Riki sat up and glanced at the clock. "Geez, it's still early." In spite of that, he was actually starting to feel pretty excited. Kyousuke always had that effect on him somehow.


	39. News

"Anything interesting happening in the news?" Riki asked, joining Kyousuke at the table.

"Not especially."

Riki leaned in to see the page Kyousuke was reading. He wasn't terribly surprised to see that it was a page of manga strips. "You're just reading the manga as usual, aren't you?"

"Hey, I do read the news. Sometimes. There just didn't seem to be anything interesting. At least manga's always interesting."

How typical, Riki thought with a smile. "What would you like to see happen, Kyousuke?"

"A remake of the School Revolution Sukurebo anime, this time with extra cours. Two cours just wasn't enough."

"That's not what I meant." Riki really didn't need to hear Kyousuke's grievances about that particular subject again. "Something bigger than that. You know, important stuff."

"Are you saying manga's not important?" Kyousuke looked horrified. "Riki, how could you say such a thing? I mean, the Sukurebo anime was just... I still can't get over what they did with the ending. It was an utter travesty."

"Yes, I know. You were crying in bed all night over it."

"You don't understand."

"No, I guess I don't." Riki studied Kyousuke's disgruntled expression with a smile. Kyousuke was still like a child, making a big deal out of something like manga, but it was ever so charming.

"I swear, someday I'll get you to read Sukurebo," Kyousuke said, turning his attention back to the newspaper.


	40. Blue

"I wish you didn't have to go."

Kyousuke hugged Riki from behind. "Look at the sky."

Riki did, turning his gaze toward the expanse of blue overhead. There was nary a cloud to be seen. He saw a small number of birds fly past. "Hm? What about it?"

"Wherever we are, we will always be beneath the same sky. We'll see the same view and the same stars as we look up. The sky keeps us connected."

Riki tilted his head further back, his brow furrowing. "Where did you get that from, a manga?"

"What, you don't think I came up with that by myself? Okay, I read it somewhere and I thought it sounded cool so I just wanted to try saying it. It's true though, isn't it?"

"You were seriously quoting manga to try and make me feel better. Kyousuke... you really can be such a dork sometimes, you know?" Riki sighed. "I'll miss you so much."

"I'll miss you as well." Kyousuke pressed his lips against Riki's forehead. "It's not like we're saying goodbye forever. We'll be seeing each other again."

Riki put his hands over Kyousuke's, directing his gaze back to the endless blue of the sky. "Yeah."


	41. Computer

"Come and see what I've been doing with my new computer."

Riki peered over Kyousuke's shoulder and watched him click around on the screen. A web page popped up, displaying a picture of the Little Busters together. The words Little Busters were written above it in large font. Below the picture were some smaller words: The Allies of Justice Who Punish Evil.

"I made a website for the Little Busters."

"A website, huh? So what exactly are you going to do with it?"

"I think I'll make a photo album, and probably put up some stories. Also, I might add a forum for everyone to post on."

"Ooh, that sounds pretty interesting."

"Yeah. I've already got a lot of photos uploaded to my computer I can put on there. Look." Kyousuke brought up a folder.

Riki scanned the list of folders on the screen. "Hold on a minute, what's with that folder there?"

"Which one?"

"That one. The one that says Cutest Pictures of Riki."

"That's my personal collection of favorite pictures of you."

"That... that's embarrassing," Riki mumbled. "Can't you call it something else?"

"Haha, but you really are so cute, you know." Kyousuke leaned back in his seat and put his hand on Riki's head, kissing his cheek.

Riki blushed. "You're not going to put those on the website, are you?"

"Why not?"

"Seriously, don't!"

Kyousuke chuckled. "I'm just kidding. They are for my own enjoyment anyway." 

Riki's blush deepened. "The way you says that sounds really suspicious."

Kyousuke just grinned and turned his attention back to the computer.


	42. Cooking

"Mmm, that smells good." Kyousuke came up behind Riki and slipped his arms around his waist. He rested his chin on Riki's shoulder, peering at the bubbling substance in the pot. "What are you cooking?"

"I'm making curry. It should be done soon."

"Nice. I love getting to eat Riki's cooking." Kyousuke started kissing Riki's neck.

"H-hey..." Riki squirmed. "Not now, I'm busy."

"Can't I stay like this while you're cooking?"

"If you do that, I won't be able to finish."

"Okay, okay." Kyousuke let go. "I really do enjoy your cooking. Nothing beats cooking made from the heart."

"Gosh, that's a bit corny."

"But I think it's true, don't you?"

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right." Riki looked over his shoulder, smiling at Kyousuke. "I'm glad you appreciate it so much."

"Of course. It's made by you after all." Kyousuke returned the smile.


	43. Blood

"Ouch!" Riki's hand jerked back from the scattered pieces of glass.

"What happened? Did you cut yourself?" Kyousuke got up from the table and came over, taking care to avoid the debris left by the glass that had been knocked down.

"Yeah." Riki examined his thumb, seeing a red bead of blood well up where the glass had sliced the skin. He went over to the sink and turned on the tap.

While Riki ran the cold water over his cut thumb, Kyousuke located the band-aids and brought one to him. "Hold your thumb out."

Riki did as he asked and Kyousuke grasped his offered hand. He planted a swift kiss on Riki's thumb.

"Eh, what are you doing?"

"Just kissing it better for you." Kyousuke wrapped the band-aid around Riki's thumb. "There you go, all better now."

"Oh. Thank you, Kyousuke."

"No problem." Kyousuke ruffled Riki's hair. "Take better care of yourself, okay? I don't like seeing you get hurt."

"Yeah. I'll be more careful."


	44. Tears

"Hey, Riki." Kyousuke closed the manga he had been absorbed in a moment ago.

"Hm?" Riki looked up from his book. "What is it?" Looking at Kyousuke, he saw he had an unusually serious expression on his face. His heart skipped a beat as he wondered what it could possibly be. Hopefully it wasn't bad news.

"We'll definitely be spending the rest of our lives together, right?"

"Yeah... I hope so." Riki's mouth grew dry. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, no, nothing's wrong."

"Phew. You had me worried for a moment there. Why do you look so serious?"

"Well, I was just thinking, we both love each other and want to spend the rest of our lives together. It would be wonderful if we could get married."

"We can't, though." Riki hung his head. "Same sex marriage is illegal in Japan after all. Who knows if it will ever become legal?"

"Maybe someday. Even if it doesn't happen in our lifetime, I still think we should try to save some money. I just had this idea. What if we went overseas to another country where it's legal and got married there? The marriage wouldn't be recognized here, but it would still be better than nothing."

Riki gaped at him. "Kyo-Kyousuke, you really think..."

"It's a pretty big 'if' right now, but if we could make that happen, would you want to?"

Riki covered his mouth, his eyes prickling with tears. It was such a brilliant idea, he had to wonder why they hadn't even thought of it yet. Although they didn't have too much money right now, the possibility of it happening in the future was there. He was sure Kyousuke could make it happen.

"Yes. Of course I would." Riki's voice quivered. "I want to marry you more than anything, Kyousuke. I love you."

"I'm glad." Kyousuke leaned over and kissed him. "Someday in the future, let's do our best to make it possible."

"Alright" Riki couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his cheeks. The thought of them getting married just made him so happy.

"You're still a bit of a crybaby even now, aren't you?" Kyousuke brushed the tears from his cheeks.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Riki leaned into him and buried his face in Kyousuke's chest. "It's just that I'm so happy right now. I know we can't make it happen anytime soon, but no matter how long it takes, just the thought that we could one day do it is enough. I'll look forward to it."

Kyousuke put his arms around Riki and kissed the top of his head. "I'll try my hardest to make it happen. That's a promise."


	45. Hug

"Well, this is it." Kyousuke approaches the school gate and turns around to face everyone. "I'm going now. Riki, I'll be leaving everything to you."

"Kyousuke..." Riki steps forward. There are so many things he wants to say and for a moment he's lost in the jumble of words gathering in his mind. He can't believe it's here, that this day has come, and he can't do anything about the tears gathering in his eyes. In spite of that, he's not going to cry. If he cries, he'll make Kyousuke worry.

"Take good care of everyone, alright? Yourself too, of course." Kyousuke reaches out to pat Riki's head. "I know you'll be able to do it."

Riki can't resist the urge to throw his arms around Kyousuke and embrace him in a tight hug. He buries his face in Kyousuke's chest and holds on. Just for a moment, he shows his weakness. He closes his eyes and savours this moment.

"I'll miss you."

Kyousuke returns the hug, patting Riki's back. "I'll miss you too. No crying, alright?"

"Yeah." After a moment, Riki reluctantly lets go and rubs away the tears threatening to spill out. He forces a smile as he meet Kyousuke's gaze. "I'll do my best."


	46. Laughter

A game of Truth and Dare between the boys and Masato's comment that Kyousuke would probably do anything he was dared to had somehow led to this. Riki had to wonder if he was dreaming as he took in the sight of Kyousuke standing naked before him, wearing that absurd mask.

Well, Riki didn't mind seeing him like this (he did have quite a fine physique), but he was honestly growing concerned about Kyousuke's sanity right now.

"You could just refuse to do it, you know," Riki said. "We won't think any less of you."

"Hah, and back down from this challenge? Never! Harya hore umau!" With that last shout, Kyousuke ran through the veranda doors.

Riki, Masato and Kengo walked to the doors, all of them wearing baffled expressions.

"I really tried to think of something Kyousuke wouldn't do," Kengo said.

"I told you he'd do anything. Why didn't you listen?"

"Kyousuke, Kyousuke, Kyousuke," Riki muttered, putting his head in his hands. How could this have happened? How could Kyousuke now be running a lap around the school, naked, wearing that ridiculous mask?

A few minutes later, Kyousuke crashed back through the veranda doors and collapsed to the floor. He lay there, recovering his breath.

"I never thought I'd feel bad for trying to prove Masato wrong."

"I can't believe you really did that," said Masato. "You're insane."

"You're incredible, Kyousuke." Riki knelt down next to him. "Really, you're just amazing." 

Kyousuke pulled off his mask and burst into hysterical laughter. He laughed so hard that his eyes started watering. The sound of Kyousuke's laughter was so infectious that Riki found himself laughing as well. How much he loved hearing that laughter.


	47. Pineapple

Let's share a sundae together, Kyousuke had suggested, completely out of the blue. Riki was confused until he found out the cafe Kyousuke brought him to had a special offer for couples.

"Half price off if you share it with your beloved?" Riki commented. "What kind of deal is that?"

"Isn't it a nice thought? A couple sharing a dessert together while gazing lovingly into each other's eyes... what a beautiful romantic moment. That's why we have to do this, Riki. We're a couple after all, and I'm just really in the mood for dessert right now."

They took their seats and a sundae was soon brought to them. It looked extremely appetising indeed with layers of cream, ice cream and fruit, stacked on top with wafers and sticks of chocolate.

Kyousuke picked his spoon up and dug into it, taking out a generous scoop. "Mmm, that's nice."

Riki spooned up some ice cream along with a piece of pineapple and ate it. It was deliciously sweet and cold. "Mmm."

They ate spoonful after spoonful, even feeding each other mouthfuls on Kyousuke's insistence, until there was nothing left but a tiny puddle of ice cream at the bottom.

"That was so good," Riki said. "You always have the best ideas, Kyousuke."

Kyousuke had a satisfied grin on his face. "Let's keep an eye out for even more stuff like this. It's great being a couple, isn't it?"

Riki nodded. "It really is."


	48. Chocolate

"Happy Valentine's Day." Kyousuke produced a large box of chocolates. "We're going to share this box of chocolate and watch a sappy romantic movie together right now."

That was hardly an offer Riki could refuse. They snuggled together on the sofa beneath a blanket with the lights off and ate chocolates while watching the movie. Although, in Riki's case, he spent quite a bit of time looking at Kyousuke's face instead. He just couldn't resist watching his expressions change every time something happened.

In the end, Riki wasn't entirely sure of everything that had happened in the movie, just that it had hit Kyousuke in the feels an awful lot.

Kyousuke sniffled and wiped his eyes. "I'm so glad it worked out so well for them."

"Yeah." Riki plucked a piece of chocolate from the box. "There's still a few pieces of chocolate left."

"I think I've eaten enough now. Speaking of chocolate, you've got a bit there."

"Hm, where?"

Kyousuke leaned over and wiped a smudge of chocolate from the corner of Riki's mouth. "There. So, what did you think of the movie?"

"Er..." Riki faltered. "I think it was a good movie. I was a bit distracted though, sorry."

"No need to apologize. Spending quality time together is the important part." Kyousuke leaned back in, pressing his lips against Riki's. "I love spending time with you."

"Mmm. Me too."

The box of chocolates ended up dropping to the floor as the two started cuddling but neither of them paid heed to it.


	49. Pleasure

"Geez, don't say something so embarrassing all of a sudden!" Riki spluttered, his face turning a deep scarlet.

Kyousuke let out a soft laugh and laid his hand on Riki's head. "You're just too cute when you're all flustered."

"Hmph." Riki put on his best annoyed look and averted his gaze.

Kyousuke scrutinized his indignant face, smiling in amusement. It brought him way too much pleasure to tease Riki once in a while and watch him get all flustered as a result. Riki really was so cute. He pulled Riki in and kissed his forehead.

"You're always such an easy target. I can't resist."

"I've really got to do something about that," Riki muttered.

"I'd rather you didn't." Kyousuke caressed his soft hair. "I love you just the way you are. I hope you'll always stay my cute, adorable Riki."

Riki made a series of incoherent, sputtering sounds. Apparently he had gone well over the embarrassment threshold and lost the ability to speak.

"Oh dear." Kyousuke kissed his warm cheek. "I really meant that, you know. You're stronger than you used to be and that's good, but I don't think you need to change any more than that. Of course, I'd still love you no matter what."

Riki's mouth was opening and closing, without him so much as making a sound. Kyousuke wouldn't have been terribly surprised at this point if steam was to start pouring from his orifices.

"I'll get you a glass of water."


	50. Pain

"Riki, look out!"

Riki was taken by surprise when Kyousuke suddenly leaped forward and pushed him aside. He fell to his knees, hearing the sound of something being struck. When he looked up, Kyousuke was standing over him with a pained expression.

"Kyousuke?" Riki's gaze trailed from his screwed up face, to the hand clutching one shoulder and all the way down to the ground where he saw the shattered remains of what had once been a flowerpot.

As he processed the scene in front of him, a cat dropped down from above and took off running.

"Kyousuke, you..." Riki gasped as he realised what had just happened. He jumped to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kyousuke insisted through gritted teeth. Despite his insistence, he did seem to be in visible pain. "How about you, Riki?"

"I'm okay. But, are you really alright? Your shoulder must be in a lot of pain."

"Don't worry." Kyousuke's mouth twitched into a smile. "Anyway, I couldn't just stand by and let you get hurt."

"Sorry, Kyousuke. I should have been paying attention-"

"Don't be ridiculous. How could you possibly have known a cat was going to knock a flower pot off the shelf above you? It was just by sheer luck I happened to see it. Imagine if that flower pot had landed on your head."

"Right." Riki did feel eased hearing Kyousuke's reassuring words, but it didn't lessen the horror of seeing Kyousuke in such obvious pain. "Thank you, Kyousuke."

"No problem. I'm just glad you're alright."

"Let's get you to the doctor now, okay? You need to have your shoulder checked."


	51. Walk

The setting sun cast a rosy glow over their surroundings. Riki's gaze swept over the glimmering surface of the red tinted river as he walked along the path back to school. This had always been a familiar sight when returning from a shopping trip. His feet slowed to a stop and he gazed at the horizon. A sigh passed through his lips.

"Looking at the view?" Kyousuke stopped as well, looking in the same direction. His eyes betrayed a hint of wistfulness as he smiled. "It is a lovely sight. I always did like walking past here. It's a shame I'll be gone soon."

Riki swallowed. It was hard to think he wouldn't have Kyousuke accompanying him on these trips, or anywhere else, all the time once Kyousuke had left. "Well, you'll still come and visit us, won't you?"

"Of course." Kyousuke slipped his hand into Riki's, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Let's go."

Riki tore his gaze from the sunset and walked along with Kyousuke, thinking about how warm and comforting the grip on his hand felt.


	52. Restaurant

Kyousuke and Riki followed the waiter to their table and took their seats. When the waiter had handed them the menus and left, Kyousuke spoke.

"I heard that this was supposed to be a really good restaurant. Hope it lives up to my expectations."

"It's pretty fancy." Riki looked around, taking in the sights of all the well dressed people laughing and talking while sipping from glasses. It was a rare sight indeed and he felt just a little nervous being here. At least, with its soft music and warm lights, the place did have a relaxing atmosphere. "I don't think I've ever been to a place like this, not since I was really little anyway." He tried to recall if his parents had ever taken him out with them to restaurants. It was so long ago though he really couldn't remember.

"Hmm." Kyousuke was browsing the drinks menu. "Fancy some alcohol?"

"Uh, I'd rather not." Riki smiled sheepishly. "I get tipsy too easily." He opened up the menu and was relieved to see the food wasn't as pricey as he'd feared. Still, eating out was clearly a luxury and he appreciated that Kyousuke had taken the two of them out for dinner. It was nice to try something new.

"Ah. I guess you do look like you'd have a low constitution. Well, no problem. We don't need alcohol to enjoy ourselves on our date. I just really wanted to try eating out somewhere nice and see what it's like. Makes a nice change of pace."

"Uh huh, I think so too. You really have some good ideas." Riki looked over the food options, wondering how he was ever going to choose. Looking over a menu like this gave him a little thrill. The people around him would probably think this pretty ordinary, but to be eating like this on a date in a fancy restaurant for the first time was kind of exciting in a way. He was sure Kyousuke thought the same thing.


	53. Dance

"Awesome, they actually have a dancefloor here." Kyousuke's eyes lit up with delight as he saw the throngs of people dancing along to the music. "Riki, come on."

"Huh? Wait a minute!" Riki exclaimed, completely caught by surprise when Kyousuke grabbed his hand. As usual, he was pulled along by Kyousuke. He managed to catch his balance before he found himself being plunged into the crowd.

Kyousuke tugged Riki further in until they found a good spot where there was room to move around. "Yahoo!"

"You're way too excited about this." Riki pumped his arms and legs, watching Kyousuke twist and turn his body. He was always awed watching Kyousuke dance. Some of those moves he pulled off were usually pretty impressive.

"Why wouldn't I be? Dancing is fun." Kyousuke grinned. He took hold of Riki's hands and twirled him around.

"Whoah, slow down, you'll make me dizzy."

Kyousuke responded with a laugh, though he did at least slow down a little to make it easier for Riki.


	54. Expensive

"Why is everything so expensive?" Riki dropped the bill back onto the table and sighed. "Living as an adult is really tough."

"Yeah, the adult world can be really harsh if you're not prepared for it." Kyousuke came over and patted Riki's head. "Don't worry, my job is paying pretty well so it's not like we have to worry about money."

"I know. I'm not worried, it's just that everything seems so expensive."

"I guess it does. But, you know what they say, right? All the best things in life are free. You think so too, don't you, Riki?"

"The best things in life, huh?" Riki sat back in his chair, raising his head. "Like friendship?"

"Yeah, and love." Kyousuke bent down to kiss Riki's forehead.

"Of course, that too."


	55. Poor

"I can't believe I finally got a job after all those months of searching." Kyousuke was beaming with happiness. "Isn't that great, Riki?"

"Yeah, you won't have to worry so much about being poor anymore. I was afraid you weren't going to get one before graduating at this rate."

"To tell the truth, I was getting a bit concerned too. Now I don't have to worry too much about funding my manga habit."

Riki let out a sigh of exasperation, slowly shaking his head.

"Just kidding. Don't take me so seriously all the time."

"Hmm." Riki wasn't entirely convinced by Kyousuke's assurance but let the subject go.

"At the very least, I'm not going to have to come visit you on foot so that's a plus."

"I wonder if it took you so long because you did all your job hunting on foot. You always came back looking like a shabby beggar."

"That's because I was poor. Nothing I could do about it. Anyway, we ought to celebrate." Kyousuke threw his arms around Riki's shoulders. "We should have a party or something. How about it?"

"Sounds great. I'll let the others know."

"Alright. We'll have our biggest party yet!"

"You really are happy about this." Riki was too, of course. Now that Kyousuke had got himself a job, he wouldn't have to go on any more trips for job interviews. They had all the time in the world together until he graduated. The thought really made him so happy.


	56. Cheap

"How are you finding it living on your own now?" Riki asked. "It's a lot quieter than being in the dorms, I'll bet."

"Yeah, that's true," Kyousuke said. "I'm experiencing the life of an adult now. Working hard for money, paying bills and eating cheap noodles. It really is different."

Riki thought he heard a sigh come through the phone at the end. He was sure Kyousuke was missing them terribly, but he probably wasn't going to mention it. Kyousuke had to have his own issues just like everyone else, but he wasn't one to talk about them. He was always laughing and making sure everyone around him was having fun.

Now that was Riki's role, as the leader of the Little Busters. He wondered if there was something he could say to cheer Kyousuke up at all.

"You must be feeling lonely."

"Well... yeah, I suppose I am, but that's to be expected. It's so quiet here without everyone else."

"If you need to talk, I'm always willing to listen, so call anytime. Well, except when I'm in class of course."

"Sure."

"Take care of yourself out there, alright? I'll be thinking of you every day. Come visit us soon, yeah?"

"I'll visit whenever I can. I love you."

"Love you too."


	57. Family

"What would it be like to have a family?"

"Are you talking about if we had children?" Kyousuke glanced down at Riki, who was nestled in the crook of his arm.

"No, I meant, like, what if my parents had lived and maybe I even had siblings. I guess my life could have ended up being completely different. I might not even have met the Little Busters. Actually, that thought makes me really sad. Never mind, it was just a random thought."

"No harm in wondering what might have been." Kyousuke brought his hand up and stroked Riki's head. "I wouldn't say meeting us would have been impossible anyway. So, you sometimes think about what having siblings would be like?"

"Yeah, sometimes. I see you and Rin together, and I've often wondered what it would be like for me if I had a younger sibling."

"You wish you had a cute little sister who follows you around calling you Onii-chan?"

"Please don't project yourself on me like that."

"Hey, I was not... well..." Kyousuke averted his gaze. "Whatever, I still have a cute little sister."

Riki released a long sigh. "Anyway, I'm being serious here. What would my parents think of me now?"

"I'm sure they would be proud of you."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, you've come a long way from being that sad little boy with his head in his knees all those years ago. I'd say you've done pretty well."

A broad smile spread across Riki's face. "That makes me really happy. Thank you, Kyousuke."


	58. Blanket

As they settled down on the couch, Kyousuke grabbed a blanket which he threw over himself and Riki. He snuggled up as close to him as he could and tucked the blanket around their shoulders.

"Let's just cuddle like this all evening." Kyousuke slipped his arms around Riki and rested his cheek against the top of Riki's head. He exhaled and closed his eyes. "I don't feel like doing anything else." 

Riki buried his face in Kyousuke's shoulder, smiling contentedly. Snuggling underneath a blanket with him always felt so good.

"Hard day at work again?"

"Yeah, it was, but I don't really want to talk about that." After a little while of silence, Kyousuke spoke again. "I feel like I could stay this way forever, just cuddling like this."

"I know what you mean. Cuddles are the best."


	59. Coat

Riki pulled the zipper up on his coat as far as it could go and jammed his hands into his pockets. He watched his breath take on the form of little wispy clouds as he exhaled. The winter cold was harsh and even his rather snug coat had trouble protecting him against its biting chill.

"You cold?" Kyousuke walked alongside him with arms folded and hands jammed deep into his underarms. He too seemed to be having trouble defending himself against the cold. "Gosh, leaving the apartment was a bad idea. I wish I'd just stayed in."

"We said we would go, we can't very well back out now," Riki said through chattering teeth. "Sometimes, I hate winter."

"At least it gives us snow. Surely you don't hate snow." Kyousuke fell behind Riki and slipped his arms around Riki's waist.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Maybe we'll be a bit warmer if we walk together like this." Kyousuke rested his chin on Riki's head.

"Eh... I'll probably trip if we do that," Riki protested. On the other hand, having Kyousuke's arms wrapped snugly around his body did feel very nice. He actually was starting to feel warmer now.

"It's alright, I won't let you fall over. You're safe in my arms."

Riki lowered his head, a blush spreading across his face. "O-okay then."

"Anyway, it's not far. We'll be there soon. Let's keep going before we freeze."


	60. Hot

"Hey, Riki." Kyousuke walked into the bedroom where he saw Riki lying spread across the bed in only his underwear. A gentle breeze blew in through the wide open windows. "What's the matter? You hot?"

"Yeah." Riki drew a hand over his brow, peeking through half closed eyes. "I've got the window open but it doesn't seem to be helping much."

Kyousuke clambered onto the bed and lay down next to him. "I thought we could maybe do something together."

"Sorry, I'm just too hot."

"Oh well, this isn't so bad either." Kyousuke stared at Riki's chest for a moment, then brought his hand to it. He traced his hand down, moving it in slow circles around Riki's bellybutton.

Riki wriggled, making a sound of protest. "Hey... that tickles."

"You really are ticklish, aren't you." Kyousuke grinned and started tickling his stomach.

"Stop it!" Riki swatted at his hand, fighting off the laughter that threatened to spill out.

Kyousuke chuckled and moved in to kiss the side of Riki's neck. He dragged his lips down, leaving lots of little kisses trailing down to his bellybutton. 

"Mmm." Riki closed his eyes, his mouth curving up into a smile.

Kyousuke planted one more kiss on Riki's forehead then lay back down, draping an arm over him. "Hmm."

"What is it?"

"Just wondering how I could get you to cool down."

"Buy an electric fan."

"How about I cover you in ice cream and lick it off?"

Riki spluttered, giving Kyousuke an incredulous look.

"Kidding, kidding, although I wouldn't mind something like that out one day. Wouldn't it be great to do it with whipped cream and chocolate sauce? Yum."

"Hmm, I guess that would be interesting. Are you hungry right now or something?"

"I could really go for some ice cream actually. Let's go out and have some together."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. How about that cafe by the station?"

"Sure. While we're at it, let's stop by the store afterwards and get whipped cream and chocolate sauce." 

"You really want to try it out?"

"Yeah. What do you think?"

"Hmm." Riki considered it. It wasn't unlike Kyousuke to come up with these random ideas, and it honestly didn't sound so bad. An exciting activity to take his mind off this dreadful heat was definitely welcome. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded. "Alright."


	61. Cold

Kyousuke held the steaming mug to his lips and sipped at the sweet brown liquid within. "Ahh. You know, nothing beats a mug of hot chocolate on a cold winter's day."

Riki held the mug up to his face and inhaled the steam before taking a sip himself. He closed his eyes contentedly and smiled. "Yeah, it's really something. This hot chocolate is really good. It's so sweet."

"It makes you forget all about the cold, doesn't it?" Kyousuke leaned back on the bench, looking up at the cloudy sky. "So many people seem to hate the winter just because it's cold. I don't really think it's that bad."

Riki knew that well enough, of course. No matter the season or the weather, Kyousuke always wanted to have fun and took everyone out to play. He never let something like the cold or rain stop him. At least he had the sense not to go into thunderstorms and blizzards. Those were too much even for someone like Kyousuke.

They had just finished off the last of their hot chocolate when Kyousuke noticed something.

"Hold on, Riki, you've still got some whipped cream on your face."

Before Riki even had a chance to ask where, Kyousuke leaned in and licked it away. He made a spluttering sound. "Uwah! D-don't do something so embarrassing in public!"

"There's nobody around."

"B-but... still..." Riki ducked his head, hiding his reddening face.

"Haha. You're so cute, Riki." Kyousuke kissed his cheek.


	62. Fear

Kyousuke was awoken by the sound of someone in clear distress. As he listened, he realised the sounds were coming from Riki and reached over to shake his shoulder.

"Riki. Hey."

Riki jolted awake. He was quiet for a few seconds, breathing heavily as he adjusted to reality. "Kyo... Kyousuke?"

"Yeah, it's me. Sounded like you were having a bad dream."

"Uh, yeah, I guess I was," Riki said, his voice wobbling. "It was pretty scary."

Kyousuke scooted over and put his arm around Riki. Riki snuggled up against his chest, seeking comfort in the warmth of his body.

"Don't ever leave me alone," Riki murmured, clutching at him. "I don't want that to happen, ever."

"It's okay." Kyousuke caressed his hair. "I'll be with you as long as I can, so don't worry."

"I know I'm not supposed to be afraid anymore, but I can't help it. That fear will always be there, deep down."

"You don't have to apologise for it." Kyousuke rested his cheek on Riki's head and closed his eyes. "I understand. Even I have scary dreams sometimes."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It's totally normal, so don't feel bad." Kyousuke continued to stroke Riki's hair.

"I'm so glad you're here with me," Riki murmured. He relaxed against Kyousuke's chest, his mouth forming a smile, and drifted off back to sleep in his warm embrace.


	63. Shame

"Whoa, when did you take this picture?!" Riki had been looking at the pictures on Kyousuke's phone out of curiosity. There were a disturbing amount of pictures of him sleeping though he had chosen not to comment on them. This one, however, definitely merited a comment.

"Hm, which one?" Kyousuke took the phone. "Ah, that time we worked at the maid cafe."

"Yes, and they just happened to be out of waiter outfits in my size." Riki narrowed his eyes. "That sure was an amazing coincidence, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was, wasn't it? Anyway, what's the problem? You look really good in a maid outfit. I've got even more of them, see. Aren't they great?"

"I never even noticed you taking pictures."

"Kurugaya and Nishizono helped out too."

"Uwah." Riki buried his face in his hands. "It's so shameful."

"But you're so cute. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Yes, it is!" Riki protested. "Honestly. I ought to take shameful pictures of you and see if you like it."

"Good luck with that."

"Hmm." Riki frowned. Come to think of it, even the mere thought of Kyousuke being ashamed seemed unlikely. The only person he knew to have ever shamed Kyousuke was his grandfather, and he was dead. Besides, that had been years ago when they were still only children. 

"You know what, never mind." 

Shaming someone like Kyousuke seemed next to impossible after all.


	64. Animals

"Hey, Kyousuke..." Riki trailed off when he saw Kyousuke had fallen asleep on the couch. The manga he had been reading had fallen off his lap. Riki picked it up, briefly glancing at the cover which depicted several girls in strange costumes, sporting a variety of animal ears and tails. His love for children's manga obviously hadn't wavered in the least even now.

Riki put the manga aside and sat down next to Kyousuke, staring at his sleeping face. His expression looked so peaceful. It wasn't a sight Riki got to see all that often, so he figured he'd enjoy it while he could.

It didn't last long however as Kyousuke jerked awake all of a sudden. "Huh? Did I fall asleep?" He rubbed his eyes. "Hey, Riki."

"You sure woke up quickly." Riki couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

"I had this feeling someone was watching me. You were totally watching me sleep, right?"

"Well, you've watched me sleep lots of times, haven't you?"

"Yeah, of course." Kyousuke grinned.

"Honestly." Riki made an exasperated noise. Now he was wishing he had snapped a photo on his phone while he'd had the chance. Next time, he swore.


	65. Toilet

"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you were..." Riki trailed off, his eyes focusing on what was in Kyousuke's hands. "You read manga on the toilet? Really?"

"I'm just at a thrilling part right now. I can't stop."

"Uh huh." Riki smiled in bemusement as he backed out of the bathroom.

A short while later, Kyousuke came out. He noticed the stare Riki was giving him. "Hey, come on, it's not like I make a habit of it. I swear. It's just a really good manga!"

"Sure." Riki raised an eyebrow. "Reading it on the toilet is going too far though."

"But it's so good. You'd understand if you read it."

"I'm not sure I want to touch it after seeing you read it on the toilet."

"I'll buy a new one."

"No, no, no, that's okay." Riki waved his hands quickly. "Honestly, I prefer to read books."

"Okay then, but you're really missing out." Kyousuke sat down and resumed reading.

Riki shook his head, looking at Kyousuke with a smile, before going into the bathroom himself.


	66. Alcohol

Kyousuke watched Riki slump over onto the table with a look of disbelief. Riki's face was red and he barely seemed capable of keeping his eyes open.

"You've only had two cans of beer, Riki."

"Uhh... really?" Riki blinked, struggling to keep his eyes focused on Kyousuke.

"I guess that's your limit. You really are a lightweight. I'm seriously impressed."

"Thanks."

"That's not really a compliment, you know?" Kyousuke lifted Riki up and carried him to bed. "I think it's better if you don't drink alcohol."

"Mm-hmm. I feel so sleepy."

"I'll bet you do." Kyousuke drew the sheets over him and tucked him in. He stood over Riki for a moment, looking at his deeply flushed face. Maybe getting those drinks hadn't been the best idea, but he hadn't realized Riki was so bad at holding his liquor. "I'll get you some water."

The next morning, Riki awoke with only a dry mouth and fortunately no headache thanks to the water Kyousuke had made him drink. He was surprised to see Kyousuke next to him, leaning on the bed with his head in his arms and fast asleep. What was he even doing there?

"Hey, Kyousuke. Wake up." Riki shook him until he came to.

"Oh, Riki. Is it morning already?" Kyousuke glanced at the window, seeing the morning light through the crack in the drapes. "Huh, I guess I fell asleep."

"Whatever were you even doing there anyway?"

"I thought I'd watch over you since you were so out of it. I even had a bowl ready in case you were sick but luckily you didn't need it. Guess you were just more tired than drunk. How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty, but otherwise okay. You stayed up all night watching over me?"

"Yeah, that was the plan, but then I fell asleep."

"You were so worried about me you even did that? Thank you, Kyousuke."

"No problem." Kyousuke patted Riki's head. "Now, shall we go and have some breakfast?"


	67. Street

Kyousuke glanced at Riki while they walked along the street and reached out to take hold of his hand.

Riki was startled by the sudden motion, but didn't protest. It seemed though that he was acutely more aware of Kyousuke's hand than usual. As he continued to think about it, his face grew warm. He looked around and met the eyes of people staring at them. The intense gazes only made him feel even more awkward.

"Are you okay, Riki?"

"Eh? Y-yeah, of course," Riki mumbled, looking at his feet. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that you've gone kind of red."

"Uwah." Great, now Kyousuke would be able to tell. "Uh, er..."

This was silly, Riki thought. He was used to holding hands with Kyousuke. They had been doing it ever since they were children, though it had been much less frequent since junior high, so why should it be any different now?

Well, of course, the answer was obvious. He and Kyousuke were now dating. Impressive how much of a change something like that could have on the little things like this, Riki thought. 

Kyousuke chuckled softly. "Is it because we're holding hands?"

"Uh." Great. Just as Riki had expected, he had been figured out.

"If you don't want to-"

"No, it's fine," Riki insisted. He liked having the warmth of Kyousuke's hand wrapped around his. "I'm just still getting used to this... uh... dating thing." His voice grew quieter as he spoke the last two words.

"I see. It feels different now, huh?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"Well, it's just something we're going to have to get used to. We'll be together for a long time, right, Riki?"

Riki nodded, smiling at Kyousuke. "Yes, of course. Although..."

"Hm?"

"It would be nice if people didn't stare."

"Yeah. Unfortunately, that's another thing we'll just have to get used to. Don't let it get you down, okay?" Kyousuke gave Riki's hand a squeeze.

"I know." Riki squeezed back. "It's okay."


	68. Stop

Kyousuke and Riki parted their lips, bringing their lingering kiss to an end. Riki exhaled, a smile forming on his face.

"Your kisses are amazing, Kyousuke."

"Really? Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."

"Mmm." Riki brought a finger to his lips, where he could still feel the sensation of Kyousuke's lips pressed against them. 

Those kisses really were something. Every time they did it, it felt like time itself came to a stop. His mind would go blank and he could think of nothing but the feeling of Kyousuke's lips against his.

"Want to do it again?"

Riki nodded and once again, they brought their lips together.


	69. Go

"Whew! That was quite exciting." Kyousuke dropped down onto a bench to catch his breath. Riki sat down next to him. "It sure is fun to let yourself go once in a while, isn't it? You should try it more often, Riki."

"Eh, no thanks. Just watching you is enough for me."

"What's with that reply? How boring."

"Yeah, well, one of us has to be the sensible one in this relationship."

"Good point. Anyway, it's hard to imagine you being noisy."

"It is?"

"Yeah, but that's alright. I love you just the way you are." Kyousuke placed his hand upon Riki's head and caressed his hair. "I wouldn't want to change that part of you."

"Mu. You always say embarrassing things," Riki murmured, his face turning a reddish shade. "Uh, thanks anyway, I guess."

Kyousuke laughed gently, a grin forming on his face. Riki found himself smiling too as he took in the sight of that cheerful expression.


	70. Good Morning

It was rare to be the first one to wake up. The sun had recently come up and was casting its golden rays through the crack in the blinds, providing enough light for Riki to be able to see Kyousuke's sleeping form.

Should he wake him up? This was the first time Riki had ever found himself in a position to do so with Kyousuke and a tingle passed through him as he thought about it. For some reason, it was kind of exciting.

Kyousuke had often woken him up, so wasn't it time to repay the favour?

Riki reached out to brush back the bangs hanging over Kyousuke's eyes and traced his hand down over his smooth cheek. He noticed a small trail of drool at the corner of his mouth. How undignified of him.

Kyousuke's eyebrow twitched, startling Riki. It looked like he was close to waking up anyway. Time to act quickly.

Riki leaned in and kissed Kyousuke on the forehead.

"Mmm? Riki?" Kyousuke's eyelids slid open.

Riki beamed down at him. "Good morning, Kyousuke."


	71. Goodnight

"Wow, I can hardly believe it." Riki snuggled into the crook of Kyousuke's arm, basking in the warmth and comfort of his body. "This is our first night together, as a couple, I mean. It's not like it's the first time we've ever shared a bed, but this is different."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Kyousuke stroked Riki's hair. "Living together under the same roof is going to be really something, huh? It's a new beginning for both of us."

"Mmm. My heart's beating so fast just thinking about it."

"That's not good. You need to get your sleep."

Riki closed his eyes and draped his arm over Kyousuke's chest. "I'll try my best. Well, goodnight, Kyousuke."

"Goodnight, Riki." Kyousuke switched the light off and turned over, enfolding him in a gentle embrace.


	72. Shooting stars

"We've been waiting a while, haven't we?" Riki kept his gaze fixed on the night sky. "I wonder if we're going to see anything after all."

"I'm sure we will." Kyousuke took a swig from his flask of coffee. "Just wait and see."

Hearing Kyousuke's assurance was enough to ease Riki's concerns. If Kyousuke said so, then he was sure it would be the case. Kyousuke always seemed to be right somehow.

A short while later, they caught sight of a white streak shooting past overhead.

"There it is!" Riki exclaimed. He closed his eyes and made his wish.

"Did you make a wish?" Kyousuke asked when Riki opened his eyes.

"Yeah. I wished we would be together forever."

"Me too." Kyousuke slipped his arm around Riki's shoulder and Riki leaned into him.

They remained that way as they watched the rest of the shooting stars go by, with smiles of rapture on their faces.


	73. Comfort

"Hey, come on, Kyousuke." Riki sat down next to the hunched over form of his boyfriend and patted his back. "Is there really a need to get upset over it? Is it really that bad?"

"It's awful! A travesty!" Kyousuke's voice was filled with anguish. "How could they do that?"

"Okay, okay. Um, is there anything I could do to make it better?"

"Erase the memory of what I just watched from my brain."

"There's no way I could do something like that." Riki sighed. "You get way too worked up about stuff like this."

"But it was terrible!" Kyousuke turned around and buried his face in Riki's shoulder. "They completely ruined it. How could they?"

"There, there." Riki rubbed his hands up and down Kyousuke's back. "Just let it all out. Shall we get takeaway from your favourite sushi place tonight? Maybe that will cheer you up."

"...Okay. A cuddle would be nice too."

"Sure." Riki slipped his arms around Kyousuke's body in a hug. Kyousuke really was still so childlike, treating anime and manga like a big deal, but it was quite endearing. "Feel better now?"

"Yeah."


	74. Hormones

"Geez, Kyousuke! What are you doing?" Riki marched into the kitchen, narrowing his eyes at Kyousuke who was bent over the cooker. "I told you to wait."

"Ahh, but I'm so hungry." Kyousuke's shoulders slumped and he backed away. "You're really cranky, Riki. What is it, are your hormones playing up?"

"Eh?" Riki tilted his head. "Hormones?"

"Yeah, you know, they're supposed to make you have mood swings and stuff, I guess."

"No, no, no, I am absolutely not having mood swings. Anyway, isn't that supposed to be a girl thing?"

"You mean you're not a girl?"

Riki threw a tea towel at him and pointed toward the door. "Out."

"Okay, okay." Kyousuke slunk out of the kitchen. "Gosh, what a cruel boyfriend I have."

"Oh come on, don't be like that." Riki exhaled. "Honestly, am I ever going to reach the age where I don't look like a girl?"

"Absolutely not. Even when you're an old man of ninety, you'll still look like a girl."

"Impossible!"

"Haha. Well, it's not like there's anything wrong with it."

"Says you." Riki turned his attention back to the cooker, shaking his head.


	75. Key

"Hey, Riki, I have something for you. Here."

Riki held his hand out to take the item Kyousuke was offering him.

"Huh, a key? What is this for?"

"That's a copy of my apartment key. If you come and visit, you can just let yourself in if I'm not there."

"Wow, you're actually giving me a key to your place." Riki stared at the small lump of metal.

"Heh, it's not that big a deal."

"Well, it feels like it to me. Thanks, Kyousuke."

"Seriously, you don't have to thank me. Feel free to make yourself at home and do whatever whenever you come over. I don't mind."

"Make myself at home, huh," Riki murmured, looking at the key again. He found himself wondering what it might to be live with Kyousuke someday. The thought made his face grow warm. "Yeah, alright."


	76. Games

"What's wrong, Riki?" Kyousuke noticed Riki bring his hand up to cover a yawn. "Are you tired already?"

What an absurd question that was, Riki thought, considering the long evening filled with fun and games they had just had, and it wasn't even over yet.

"It's past midnight now. Of course I'm tired."

"Don't tell me you want to go to bed already. I was about to start up a game of charades. Doesn't that sound exciting?"

"I don't know where you get the energy to play games for so long." Riki rubbed his eyes. "Don't you ever get tired from doing this kind of thing, Kyousuke?"

"Hah, of course not!" Kyousuke grinned. "Come on, the night's still young and this party isn't ending anytime soon. Anyway, you'd be lonely in bed without me, right?"

"Uh..." Riki wasn't about to admit to that, especially with others around, and anyway, he knew he couldn't duck out of this party. How long had it been since they had all been able to spend time together like this? Too long, that was for sure.

"I'll get you some coffee." Kyousuke patted his head and left to do just that.


	77. Heart

"Graduation day is tomorrow, huh? It seems like time went by so fast." Riki glanced up at the star studded night sky. "I can't believe it's here already."

"Yeah, I know." Kyousuke released a heavy breath. "It's almost time for me to go off into the adult world."

"Mmm." Riki nodded. "You'll be away from us for a whole year before we even get round to graduating. You'll be at your new job, living in a flat, meeting new people... it's a whole different world."

"I suppose it will, yeah."

"It's going to be pretty lonely here when you're gone."

"I'll still come and see you now and then. Don't make it sound like I'm abandoning you guys, okay?" Kyousuke turned and took hold of Riki's hands. Riki looked into his eyes. "We're not going to be apart forever."

"I know. It's just..."

"You will always be number one in my heart, Riki. No matter what."

Riki blushed. "Th-that was certainly a cheesy thing to say all of a sudden."

"It just came to me out of the blue so I felt like saying it." Kyousuke released his grasp and brought a hand up to rest atop Riki's head. "After a year, we'll have all the time in the world together, so look forward to it. In the meantime, just keep having fun and try not to be too sad. I'll be doing my best so you have to too."

"Uh huh." Riki nodded. "I promise."

"Good." Kyousuke smiled and leaned in for a kiss.


	78. Paint

"Get down!" Kyousuke pushed Riki to the ground. A ball of paint whistled overhead.

Riki lay perfectly still, holding his breath. He glanced up to see Kyousuke with his paint gun at the ready. 

Kyousuke squeezed the trigger, letting off a shot in retaliation.

"Dammit!" That sounded like Masato.

"Riki, let's hurry." Kyousuke grabbed his hand and yanked him to his feet. They took off running together.

Riki stared at Kyousuke's back and a thought crossed his mind.

Kyousuke really was... so cool. 

Of course, that was hardly the first time Riki had ever thought that.

"Let's hide here." Kyousuke tugged Riki behind a bush and they knelt down to catch their breaths.

"You're amazing, Kyousuke," Riki blurted out. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen you get hit while we were playing paintball."

"Hah, like I'd let myself get caught in a game like this. As long as we're together, I won't let you get hit either, Riki." Kyousuke smiled. "That's a promise."

Riki's cheeks grew warm as he gazed into Kyousuke's eyes. He looked so gallant as he said those words and Riki felt he could definitely believe in them.

"Mmm." Riki nodded, smiling back. "I'm counting on you."


	79. Letter

"What's that?" Riki noticed Kyousuke pulling a letter out of his locker. "Um, could it be you got a love letter?"

"Yeah, I get this kind of thing all the time." Kyousuke stuffed the letter into his jacket pocket without so much as giving the envelope another glance. "You know how popular I am with the girls in this school."

"Oh... right." Riki had been unaware of him receiving letters, but it didn't really come as so much of a surprise. Kyousuke had always been popular with the girls in this school. He remembered Valentine's Day and the sight that awaited him when he visited Kyousuke's classroom. There had been countless boxes of chocolates stacked up around his desk, almost stretching to the ceiling.

"Aw, don't make that face." Kyousuke patted Riki's head.

"Wh-what face? I wasn't making a face."

"It's alright, Riki, you will always be my number one. No need to get jealous."

Riki's face bloomed scarlet. "I-I'm not jealous!"

Kyousuke just chuckled.

"A...anyway." Riki coughed, averting his gaze as he spoke. "Uh, do you read all the letters you get?"

"Sure, I'm just too curious about what's in the letters and besides, it would be pretty rude to just throw them away without reading, wouldn't it?"

"O-oh, I see." Riki directed his gaze toward his feet. "I bet you must get some interesting letters once in a while."

"It's just your usual typical mushy love letter stuff, really. I'd be worried if I was getting yandere love letters, honestly."

"Yandere?" Riki raised an eyebrow. Was that something from Kyousuke's manga? "Huh?"

"Never mind, let's get to practice, shall we?"

Riki threw one last glance at the closed locker before following after Kyousuke.


	80. Money

"Good news!" Kyousuke announced his presence with an exuberant declaration. Riki looked up to see his grinning face.

"Hm, what is it?"

"Today was paycheck day. Isn't that great?"

"Oh good, so you've got some more money in."

"Yeah. I was thinking about buying a set of manga volumes, but I changed my mind."

"Oh?" Riki raised an eyebrow. "That's surprisingly sensible of you, Kyousuke. I guess you really are becoming an adult now."

"Hah! As if!"

"Don't look so superior when saying something childish. So, what made you change your mind then?"

"Hmm. Well, I was thinking I'd take my boyfriend out and we'd do couple things together, but he just called me childish so..." Kyousuke turned around.

"Eh? W-wait a minute..."

"I wonder if the bookstore's still open. If I go now, I think I can make it."

"Hold on!" Riki hurried over to grab his arm. "Wait, I'm sorry I called you childish."

"So mean." Kyousuke crossed his arms.

"I'm really sorry!" Riki wrapped his arms around Kyousuke's waist. "I won't do it again."

Kyousuke chuckled and rubbed Riki's head. "Relax, I wasn't actually mad."

"Ugh, sheesh..." Riki's eyes narrowed to slits as he looked at Kyousuke's amused expression. "Well, anyway, so we'll go out together?"

"Yeah, let's go treat ourselves and have some fun." Kyousuke kissed him. "Ready?"

"Mmm." Riki nodded, his face splitting in a smile. He was always ready to spend time with Kyousuke. He took Kyousuke's hand, excitement stirring inside him as he wondered what this evening would bring.


	81. Decoration

"Come on, Riki, let's decorate the tree!" Kyousuke gave Riki no chance to protest as he tugged him over to where two boxes sat waiting next to the small tree in a corner.

"You always get so excited about this." Riki opened up one of the boxes.

"It's our first Christmas together like this, you know. I mean, as a couple. That's pretty exciting, isn't it?"

"Ah, yeah, I suppose it is." Riki stared at the undecorated tree. "I hadn't really thought about that."

"So let's make this Christmas super special," Kyousuke said, with a grin. He took out a case of baubles and turned to face the tree. "Okay then. Mission start!"

"Yeah." Riki nodded, smiling as he reached into the box. Now he too was starting to feel the thrill. "Let's do this!"


	82. Porn

"I don't believe it. You really don't have any porn," Kyousuke remarked, after the last of Riki's boxes had been unpacked and his stuff put away.

Riki gave him an odd look. "Of course I don't." He couldn't imagine why he would ever want to have it in the first place.

"Oh come on, you're at that age now, aren't you? Surely you're thinking about how awesome it is you can now go and buy 18-rated stuff?"

"So do you have porn?"

"'Course not. Porn's boring. Why would I buy it when I can buy manga?"

"Well then. You can understand why I don't have any."

"I've actually heard that couples sometimes watch it together-"

"No way."

"Man, you really aren't interested in it at all." Kyousuke chuckled. "It would be a huge surprise if you actually were, honestly."

"Then why did you even ask me in the first place?"

"Because watching your face when I tease you is fun."

Riki made a spluttering noise and turned away. "Geez... you're impossible."

Kyousuke laughed again and walked over. He put his arms around Riki from behind and kissed his cheek. "You're just too cute. I can't help it."

"Mmmph," Riki mumbled, his face reddening.


	83. Movies

When the critics had called this movie the tearjerker of the year, they certainly hadn't been kidding. Riki glanced at the sodden tissues in Kyousuke's lap. It sure was a good thing they had come prepared.

He was feeling pretty teary eyed himself after that emotional rollercoaster, though he had held himself back quite well compared to Kyousuke. Actually, Riki had spent quite a bit of time watching Kyousuke's face instead of looking at the screen.

Kyousuke sniffled.

Riki's gaze moved up to his tear stained face. "The movie really got to you, huh?"

"Riki..." Kyousuke looked at him with watery eyes, then leaned over to hug him. "I'm so glad we have each other."

Riki tried not to think about their being in a cinema surrounded by strangers as he patted Kyousuke's back. "Yeah. Me too."


	84. Chicken

Kyousuke reached into the bucket and took out another piece of fried chicken. He slowly munched away at it as he watched Riki's face.

Riki noticed Kyousuke staring and gulped down his chicken. "Hm, what is it?"

"Nothing. You're just so cute, I could watch you all day long."

Kyousuke's comment provoked that familiar red tint to Riki's face. Riki ducked his head.

"You're saying embarrassing things again."

"Heh. You still get embarrassed way too easily." Kyousuke licked the chicken grease from his fingers.

"It's your fault for teasing me all the time."

"But you're so fun to tease. I can't help it."

"That's ridiculous. Of course you can help it." Riki took another piece of chicken and bit into it, giving Kyousuke an indignant look as he chewed away.

"Nah, too much effort."

Riki gave Kyousuke a disbelieving look then shook his head. Well, he supposed it wasn't like he minded it too much anyway so he could deal with it.


	85. Fire

"Ahhh." Riki sat down before the fire and held his hands out. After braving the outside chill, this was a welcome relief. "So warm." He heard Kyousuke come up behind him and felt the weight of a blanket come to rest upon his shoulders. "Hm?"

Kyousuke sat down next to him and picked up the rest of the blanket, draping it over his own shoulders. "We'll be even warmer if we snuggle like this."

Riki pressed his body up against Kyousuke's, resting his head on his shoulder. Kyousuke put his arm around Riki, pulling the blanket even tighter around their bodies.

"Ahh, this feels so nice," Riki murmured, smiling as he gazed at the flickering flames.

"It does, doesn't it?" Kyousuke enfolded Riki in his arms and rested his cheek against Riki's soft hair. A faint sigh of contentment passed through his lips as his entire body relaxed.


	86. Ice

"Eh, I don't know." Riki looked out at the expanse of ice in front of them. "I feel like it might be dangerous." He turned his gaze to the others, who had already put their ice skates on and were watching him expectantly. "What if I fell asleep?"

"You've got nothing to worry about, Riki." Kyousuke took hold of Riki's hands. "I'll protect you, alright?"

"Really?" Riki gazed into his eyes.

"Yeah, I'll never let go of your hand even once. Masato or Kengo will hold your other hand and it will be absolutely fine, even if you fall asleep. You trust me, don't you?"

Riki inclined his head in a nod. Hearing those reassuring words made him feel warm inside. Of course he could trust him. With Kyousuke there, Riki felt he could be safe.

"Yeah. I trust you."

"There you go. Now put your skates on so we can start."


	87. Rain

"Where did this rain come from all of a sudden?" Riki looked at the sky, scarcely believing how quickly the numerous clouds had gathered. The worst thing was, neither of them had brought an umbrella.

"Come on." Kyousuke grabbed Riki's hand and took off running.

Salvation appeared in the form of a bus shelter just a short distance away. They sat down on the bench, gasping for breath.

"Whew, that was lucky." Riki pushed his sodden bangs out of his eyes. "Those clouds came out of nowhere." He glanced at Kyousuke, taking in the sight of his damp clothes and sodden hair. "We're totally soaked."

"Mmm." Kyousuke wrapped his arms around himself. "Should have paid attention to the weather forecast. Now I'm wet and cold. You cold too, Riki?"

"Yeah, I am actually."

"Maybe a bus will come by soon." Kyousuke exhaled. "If we find ourselves facing hypothermia, we could always take our clothes off and use our body heat to stay alive."

"It's not that cold. Besides, we'd get arrested."

"What's that, a riposte right off the bat? And I thought you'd get embarrassed first. Man, what a boring reaction."

"Guess I'm just used to it." Riki smiled at him.

"Darn. It's time to up my game."

"Please don't."

"Hmm." Kyousuke closed his eyes and leaned back with his arms folded.

"Oh come on..." Riki heard the sound of an approaching vehicle and saw a bus pull up. "Oh, good timing." He had the feeling a distraction was definitely needed right now.

"Hey, don't think I'll just forget about this," Kyousuke said, following him out of the bus shelter.


	88. Shower

"Let's take a shower together."

"Eh?" Riki eyed Kyousuke. "Both of us in the shower at the same time?"

"That's what I said."

"But, will we even fit?"

"We'll just have to find out. Plus, we'll even save on water, so why not?"

Riki couldn't think of a good reason why not, and the idea of taking a shower with Kyousuke did sound pretty enticing. 

It was quite cramped in the shower, leaving them only just enough room to turn around.

Riki's heart thumped as he thought of Kyousuke's warmth pressed against his body. His face grew warm, even warmer than the water that came cascading down onto their heads.

"Want me to wash your back?"

"N-no, that's okay," Riki blurted out. "I can manage." Besides, he thought he'd pass out at this point.

"What's with you, getting all flustered already?" Kyousuke peered at his face. "Sheesh, you're all red. I think taking a shower together is too dangerous after all."

"No, no, no, it's okay." Riki slowly exhaled. This was ridiculous. He and Kyousuke was already dating, so there was nothing wrong with taking a shower together. He could definitely do this. "I'll be fine."

"So you going to wash yourself then?"

"Um. I'll let you do it."

"Alright, now that's more like it."

Kyousuke sure sounded happy at the idea, Riki thought.

As Kyousuke started lathering his body, Riki experienced a thrill of pleasure and let a sigh slip through his lips.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"U-uh, yeah..."

"Hehe. Me too. Let's do this more often, yeah?"

"Sure." Riki raised his head, smiling up at Kyousuke.


	89. Dream

"I'm really not dreaming, right?" Riki mumbles with his face pressed against Kyousuke's chest.

"Of course you're not." Kyousuke brings his hand to Riki's head, caressing the soft brown tresses of hair. "You know that, don't you, Riki?"

Riki's eyes meet Kyousuke's, shining as they catch the overhead light. "Yeah... I do. It just feels kind of unreal, you know?"

Kyousuke lowers his head and presses his lips against Riki's. A pleasured moan reaches his ears.

"That felt real, didn't it?"

"Mmm." Riki nods.

"I know you probably didn't mean it that way, but still, I wouldn't want you to be afraid you were still dreaming. I'd be worried."

"No, I'm not afraid of that." Riki shakes his head. "You told me this was reality and I'll always believe your words, so don't worry, Kyousuke."

"Good." Kyousuke kisses Riki's forehead. "I'm glad to hear that."


	90. Moments

"It's been over ten years since we met each other already, hasn't it?" Riki gazed at the faded black and white photograph with a fond smile on his face. He could still remember every detail of that day so clearly.

"Yeah. We've been together ever since."

"Mmm, and we've shared so many moments together," Riki murmured. Every one of those many moments he had spent with Kyousuke was precious to him. He treasured all his memories of those happy times dearly. "It feels like my life really began on that day. We've always had such wonderful times together." He lowered the picture and looked at Kyousuke's face. "It will be sad to be apart."

"I know." Kyousuke rested his hand on Riki's head. "I'll be sad too. All those moments you'll be having in your third year of high school and I won't be there to see them. It's a pity."

"I'll be sure to let you know if anything interesting happens. We won't leave you out of the loop completely."

"Thanks." Kyousuke's gaze moved to the photo. "I'm glad we were able to meet."

"Yeah. So am I."


	91. Coffee

"Morning." Riki greeted Kyousuke as he came into the kitchen.

"Morning," Kyousuke responded, lifting his cup of coffee and taking a sip. He grimaced. "Ugh, I still can't get over how bitter this stuff is. Anyway, it's unusual to see you up this early."

Riki headed over to the kettle and got his own helping of coffee. "Thought I'd start getting up earlier."

"How come?"

"Uh... no particular reason, I guess..."

Kyousuke sensed from the tone of his voice that he wasn't being entirely truthful. "Hmm. Could it be you were lonely waking up in the morning after I'd already left for work?"

"Guh." Riki hung his head, his face reddening. Of course, Kyousuke had been spot on with his guess. How was he always able to do that? "W-well, what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. It will be nice to be able to chat in the morning."

Riki sat down and sipped his own coffee. "I'll be finding my own job soon so I'd better get used to this. I hope I'll be able to find one with similar hours to yours, that way we'll still be able to see each other. Otherwise, it would be kind of lonely."

"Yeah, it would. I'm really glad to have your company, Riki." Kyousuke smiled.

Riki inclined his head in a nod. "Me too." He looked into the depths of his coffee mug, a smile forming on his own face. The time he spent with Kyousuke was so precious, he would try to have as much of it as he could.


	92. Karma

"Hmm, karma is an interesting concept."

"What?" Riki looked up, giving Kyousuke a puzzled look. His eyes dropped to the manga in Kyousuke's hands. "Oh, you're talking about that manga, right?"

"Yeah, it's about the whole concept of how your behaviour in one life will affect the next one and the rest of them after that, like a bad person getting born as a cockroach."

Riki made a face. "Well, anyone who ends up like that probably deserved it. I'm sure we'll have good future lives ahead of us." He paused. "Though I wonder if they will even compare to this one."

"Maybe we'll even meet again in future lives. What if we were already together in past lives too? Actually, I read a manga like that once. These two people kept meeting and falling in love in every incarnation."

"I see." Riki wasn't surprised in the least. He was sure Kyousuke had read almost every plot imaginable in manga by now. Plots that were suitable for children's manga anyway. "It's pretty mindblowing."

"It would be awesome if we were like that, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah."


	93. Sin

"Hey, Kyousuke..." Riki turned over beneath the sheets to face him.

"Mm?"

"I was wondering, why are there people who say bad things about homosexuality, calling it a sin and stuff like that? It's just... completely senseless."

Kyousuke's brow furrowed. "Did someone say something to you, Riki?"

"No, but I've seen people look at us sometimes like they disapprove of us. I don't understand why. Love is love, isn't it?"

"Yeah... well, who cares what they think, right?" Kyousuke grinned and rubbed Riki's hair. "As long as we're with each other and we're happy, isn't that all that matters? Don't worry about what other people think."

"Right. You're right." Riki smiled. "There's nothing wrong with us being together."

"Yeah, nothing at all." Kyousuke slipped his arm around Riki and hugged him.


	94. Garden

Riki stopped in place, turning his gaze to a nearby garden. A fountain sat in the center of it, surrounded by an array of flowers.

"Hm?" Kyousuke stopped as well. "What is it?"

"That's a pretty fancy garden over there."

"Huh, yeah. Some people aren't afraid to show off how much money they have." Kyousuke glanced at Riki. "You're not thinking right now how nice it would be to live in a proper house with a fancy garden instead of some cheap apartment, are you?"

"No, of course not." 

"Good." Kyousuke started walking again with Riki. "It would be really something though, living together in a proper house with a garden."

"Maybe someday. No fountain though, that's just absurd. Anyway, wherever we are, I'm happy as long as we're together."

"Glad to hear it."


	95. Touch

When Kyousuke brushes his fingers against Riki's bare skin, the warm touch causes him to shiver in delight. As the fingers start tracing circles, he starts writhing beneath the bedcovers.

"You really are so ticklish," Kyousuke comments, his words mixed with breathy laughter. He brushes his hand down over Riki's hip.

"Ah," Riki gasps out.

A puff of warm air wafts against the back of his neck and he feels the warm, soft touch of Kyousuke's lips against that particular spot.

"Mmm." Riki expels a sigh and closes his eyes. There really is nothing like a loving cuddle with Kyousuke.


	96. Taste

Kyousuke pulled the ribbon away and unfolded the wrapping paper, revealing a vaguely heart shaped chunk of chocolate. He glanced up, meeting Riki's anxious gaze. How cute Riki looked, fidgeting like that and watching him so nervously, he thought.

"Looks nice." Kyousuke picked up the chocolate and took a bite.

His mouth was flooded with an overwhelmingly sweet taste. It was almost enough to make his teeth hurt. The chocolate, however, was deliciously smooth and tantalizing as it melted in his mouth. He chewed then gulped it down.

"Mmm, not bad."

"Really? I was afraid I might have put in too much sugar. It's not too sweet?"

"Okay, maybe a bit, but you did a good job." Kyousuke patted Riki's head. "Thanks for the gift."

Riki blushed. "Okay... I'll do better next time."

"Great. I'm looking forward to it." Kyousuke took another bite from the chocolate. Even if it was too sweet, he was still going to eat every last bit of it. This was a gift Riki had made from the bottom of his heart after all.


	97. Smell

The stench of gasoline hangs in the air, growing stronger with every passing second. Kyousuke's fingers gouge deep grooves in the earth as he tries to pull himself forward. No matter how many times he tries, his body refuses to move an inch.

A clear puddle glistens beneath the gasoline surging from the broken pipe. It's right there in front of him. If only he could move just a little further, he would be able to reach his goal.

A pair of voices reach his ears. Kyousuke turns his head. His heart pounds against his ribcage as he watches them approach certain death. He opens his mouth to scream out a warning but it's too late, much too late. A white light floods his vision and he hears a roar.

Kyousuke jolts awake with a gasp. His chest rises and falls in quick succession as he stares up into the darkness overhead. He swears he can still smell the gasoline even though he knows he's awake, he's not facing death at the site of a bus crash, he's safe and sound in his bed. 

"Kyousuke?" Riki's voice reaches him. "Are you alright?"

Kyousuke rolls over and embraces Riki. "Yeah. Just a bad dream, that's all."


	98. Hear

Riki awoke to the ringing of his cellphone. He fumbled around on the bed until he found it and checked the display before answering.

"Kyousuke?"

"Hey. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Riki yawned and quickly tried to stifle it.

"Hm? Did I wake you up?"

"Oh, I was just taking a nap since I felt a bit tired. We worked hard during baseball practice today. So, what's up?"

"Nothing much, I guess, I just wanted to hear your voice. So, baseball practice? Have you got a game coming up?"

"Yeah, in about a week. I think we've really improved a lot, which is good, because we've got to make up for a missing team member."

"I see." Kyousuke exhaled. "Sure wish I could still be playing baseball with you guys. You're having a lot of fun, aren't you?"

"Mmm." Riki lay back on the bed. "Of course, it isn't the same without you. So, how was your day?"

"Tiring. Never mind my day, how about yours? Tell me all the juicy details."

"Okay, let's see..."

Riki detailed everything he could think of that had taken place that day. It had been hectic as usual so there was a lot to mention.

"And that's all, I think," Riki said. "Anything else you want to know about?"

"No, that's fine. Thanks, Riki. You really cheered me up."

"Was it that bad?" Riki frowned.

"Nah, it's just tough being an adult sometimes, that's all. I feel better now."

"Good. Hang in there, Kyousuke."

"Yeah. Well then, goodnight."

"Goodnight." Riki hung up and clutched the phone to his chest with a smile.


	99. Feel

Kyousuke brings his hand to Riki's cheek and lightly strokes his thumb over the soft skin. The touch of his hand feels so warm and reassuring. Riki puts his hand over Kyousuke's.

"I love you," Kyousuke tells him.

Riki nods. Even though he's heard him say those words plenty of times, they never fail to bring forth that feeling of sheer happiness. As he looks into Kyousuke's eyes, it feels like he is suddenly floating in the air.

He really is so happy.

It would be nice if it could be like this forever and ever.

"I love you too," Riki replies, moving in to kiss him.


	100. Peace

There was nary a soul to be seen in the town. It really did seem as if the two of them were the only ones outside. Then again, that was to be expected, considering it was early and the town was covered in layers of snow. Even now, tiny white flakes were still spiralling down around the two.

Riki exhaled and saw his breath form a puffy cloud before his face. While he was wrapped up warm in winter clothes, he could still feel the sting of the winter chill biting into his face.

"What am I doing out in the snow so early?" Riki mumbled.

"So we can enjoy it, of course," Kyousuke said. "All that fresh, unspoiled snow and nobody else around. Isn't it exciting?" He looked at Riki with a grin.

"Well, I guess." Riki, however, couldn't help feeling like he'd rather still be snug and warm in bed. "It's a nice view." There was something about this peaceful town covered in snow that he did find pleasing to look at.

"Oh, this looks like a good spot." Kyousuke had run over to a large patch of snow. "Let's be the first to put our footprints here. Come on."

Riki joined him and they walked across the snow together.

"So, what do you want to do next?" Kyousuke asked. "Snowball fight?"

"No thanks."

"Oh well, I guess it's not as much fun with only two people. I'm gonna make a snow angel then." Kyousuke got down and spread his arms and legs across the snow.

Riki watched him with a bemused smile. Going out in the snow in the early hours of the morning and even dragging him along so they could have fun, in spite of the cold... Kyousuke really was something alright.


	101. War

"I'm home," Kyousuke announced, walking into the apartment.

"Mmrph." Riki's response was muffled by the cushion he had his face buried in as he lay sprawled across the sofa. He didn't have the energy to even raise his head.

"Huh, this place is a bit of a mess." Kyousuke glanced into the kitchen and saw it was a scene of destruction. "What happened here?"

"I fought a brutal, bloody war." Riki lifted himself up to speak.

"Against what?"

"Cock...roaches." Riki fell back down.

"Huh. I didn't realize we had any." Kyousuke came to sat down next to Riki. "Did you win?"

"I... think so." Riki shuddered. "It was a nightmare. Cockroaches, everywhere, and they just wouldn't die. If only you had been here."

"Seems like you could have used my help." Kyousuke patted him. "Well, you still did a good job. Well done."

"Uuuuh..."

"And here I thought I had a rough day. Well, if I see any more, I'll deal with them. Some deodorant and a lighter should do it."

"No!"

"Calm down, I was kidding."

Riki looked at him through narrowed eyes. He wasn't quite so sure about that.


	102. Love

Kyousuke and Riki lay side by side in the shadow of the tree, looking up at the sunlight filtering through the branches overhead. 

Riki let a contented sigh pass through his lips. It felt nice, soaking in the warmth with Kyousuke there by his side. He turned his head, looking over to Kyousuke. Kyousuke's eyes met his and he grinned.

"I love you," Riki whispered.

"Mmm." Kyousuke placed his hand on Riki's head and stroked his hair. "And I love you so much more."

The touch of Kyousuke's hand on his head made Riki feel even warmer.

"I hope we can always be together." Riki's mind once again wandered back to that day. He had almost lost Kyousuke. The thought of a future without him was too cruel.

"Hey, you're not thinking about that again, are you?" Kyousuke asked. "It's alright. I'm here, you know. We'll be together for as long as possible, right? So, don't worry."

"I know." Riki inched closer and placed his head on Kyousuke's chest. "I really, really love you. So I don't want you to ever leave me alone, that's all."


	103. Hate

"Well, I'm going off on another job hunt this weekend," Kyousuke announced. "I'll have to get up early tomorrow so I'll probably be gone already by the time you get up."

"Oh." Riki's face fell.

"Hey, don't make that face, Riki."

"Sorry. I just hate it when you're not around."

"Well, it's something I've got to do, you know." Kyousuke rubbed Riki's head. "Shall I bring you back a souvenir?"

"No, no, you don't have to do that." Riki waved his hands. "I do understand. It's just... yeah." He felt a bit lonely without Kyousuke around, even if Rin, Masato and Kengo were still there. It was something he couldn't help. "Anyway, good luck. Maybe you'll get lucky this time."

"I hope so." Kyousuke exhaled. "Honestly, I'd rather be playing around with you guys too, but, responsibilities. Having to grow up is a bit sad, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Riki murmured, sounding wistful.

"But we all have to do it. It's no use hating it." Kyousuke put his arm around Riki's shoulders. "So, try and cheer up a little, alright? You know I don't like to see you be sad."

"Yeah, alright."


	104. Chair

Kyousuke finished eating the last of his dinner and sat back in the chair, exhaling. He looked around the empty kitchen, being painfully aware of how quiet it was. Quiet mealtimes really were no fun at all.

He took out his cellphone and opened up the contacts list. It wouldn't be a bad idea to send Riki a text. Although, he thought with a wry smile, at this rate, he could end up racking a pretty big bill texting Riki all the time.

It was just too hard to resist.

'Hey,' he said in the text. 'How is everything?'

'Hi. Everything is fine,' Riki texted back. 'Masato and Kengo fought at dinner. I managed to break them up though so it was alright.'

Kyousuke laughed softly. 'Glad to hear that. They really won't behave themselves while I'm gone, will they?'

'It's impossible. So, how are you?'

'Fine. My mealtimes aren't anywhere near as interesting as yours now I'm on my own.'

'It's tough, isn't it? I hope you're not too lonely.'

'I'm alright. Don't worry about me.' 

After texting a bit more then bidding goodnight, Kyousuke set the phone down and looked at the other chair at the table. He imagined Riki sitting in it and smiled. Maybe someday.


	105. Fight

"Welcome back." Riki greeted Kyousuke as he took a seat at the cafeteria table. "How did the job hunting go?"

"Same as usual," Kyousuke replied, stifling a yawn. "Maybe next time."

Riki noticed a dark purple spot on his face and leaned closer. It appeared to be a bruise. "Whoah, what happened to your face? Did you fall over?"

"No, I got into a fight."

"What?"

"A couple of guys jumped me and tried to mug me." Seeing Riki's horrified face, Kyousuke gave him a reassuring smile. "It's alright, I won. The first punch just took me by surprise, that's all."

Riki was hardly eased by his words. "You walked there again, didn't you? It's dangerous to do that."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Kyousuke patted Riki's head.

"But I can't help but worry when you're doing such dangerous things." Riki looked down at his food. It was true, Kyousuke was pretty much invincible, but the thought of something happening to him was still scary. "I'm sure you're being careful, but you even nearly got mugged this time. Doesn't that worry you a bit?"

"No, not really. Yeah, it was a surprise but I dispatched them pretty quickly." Kyousuke's grin widened. "They learned not to mess with me."

Riki shook his head. How in the world could Kyousuke be so flippant about it? Well, Kyousuke was Kyousuke, after all.


	106. Make Up

Riki came to and pushed himself off his desk with a yawn. His gaze fell upon Kyousuke, who was seated on a chair reading a manga.

"Uh... Kyousuke. What time is it?"

"Homeroom ended ten minutes ago." Kyousuke looked at him then made an amused noise.

"Huh? What is it?" Riki raised an eyebrow.

"N-nothing." Kyousuke took out his cellphone and held it up.

Riki heard a suspicious clicking sound. "Did you just take a photo of me?!"

"No." Kyousuke shiftily looked away as he put his cellphone back in his pocket.

"Yes, you did." Riki narrowed his eyes. "Someone drew on my face when I was asleep, didn't they?"

"Well, Kurugaya was apparently having fun..." Kyousuke looked at Riki again and a muffled laugh passed through his lips. "Sorry." He coughed. "You look very beautiful. R-really." His voice broke and he dissolved into hysterical laughter, putting his hand on his face.

"Just what is on my face?" Riki rose to his feet.

"I wasn't supposed to say anything." Kyousuke hung his head. "I messed up."

Clearly, Kyousuke wasn't going to be very helpful, so Riki ran to the toilets to see for himself. He screamed at the sight of his face, plastered with makeup. Far, far too much of it.

"What's beautiful about this?!"


	107. Gun

Kyousuke's shoulders were aching from the two gunshot wounds. Blood seeped out and soaked into his jacket. To think he had donned the guise of a manga villain and stared down the muzzle of a gun, then ended up being shot by his best friend... it was crazy what he could make possible in a dream world.

He laughed softly. To think Riki had shot him. Fortunately, Riki still had no idea who he had really taken down. It was for the best that he never knew the real identity of the leader of the Darkness Executives.

Well, he wasn't upset with him or anything. Kyousuke knew he was the one who should be sorry.

"I put you through hard times, didn't I?" Kyousuke murmured. "Sorry about that."

There was still worse to come. At least, after it was over, Riki wouldn't have to remember the pain.

If only he wouldn't have to face more pain...

Kyousuke brushed the thought away. Better not to think about that right now. For the time being, he would see this current matter through to its end.


	108. Sword

"Did you stay up late reading manga again?" Riki looked down at Kyousuke, who was sprawled across the sofa. A handful of manga volumes were scattered around. He picked one up and glanced at it. It depicted a character waving a sword while striking a dramatic pose.

"Mmm?" Kyousuke's eyes fluttered open. "Oh, Riki. Good morning."

"It's not good for your health to be sleeping on the sofa, you know."

"Yeah, well, I was tired. I didn't finish the last one until it was really late." Kyousuke sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I had an interesting dream."

"Uh? What was it about?"

"We were fighting evil with swords and stuff. It was pretty cool. At one point, you even dressed up as a girl and sneaked into the bad guy's territory." Kyousuke grinned. "That was a really good part."

Riki stared at him. "You dreamed about me dressing up as a girl?"

"Eh, it's not the first time."

"That's not helping, really." Riki exhaled. "You dreamed weird things because of reading manga, didn't you?"

"You were so cute too." Kyousuke smiled.

"I'm making coffee." Riki cut the conversation short, making an exasperated noise as he headed to the kitchen.


	109. Magic

"Okay, we're here."

"Mmm." Riki had no idea where here was considering he had been walking with a blindfold on for the past five minutes. He had stumbled along clumsily with Kyousuke holding onto his hand, insisting that they were almost there several times.

"I'll take the blindfold off now."

"Finally," Riki muttered. Walking around with a blindfold on wasn't much fun, even with Kyousuke holding his hand. He blinked, adjusting to the view, and gasped.

A dazzling array of lights could be seen in the night sky, strung between a canopy of trees. They all spelled out three words.

'Happy Birthday, Riki.'

"Wow." Riki gaped at the lights. "How in the world did you manage this? This is like magic."

"Well, everybody helped out, and I also had some contacts."

"I can't believe it." Riki stepped through the trees. "You're amazing, Kyousuke." A moment later, he was assailed by the other members of the Little Busters, who had been concealed behind the trees. "Uwah!"

"Happy birthday!" everyone chorused, gathering around him.

"I wanted to give you a big surprise for your birthday." Kyousuke grinned. "Mission accomplished, right?"

"Well... yeah..." Riki exhaled. "Man, you guys are all incredible." He looked up at the lights again.

Kyousuke was really something alright. The things he was capable of never failed to amaze Riki even after all the years they had known each other. He had always been like this, being able to perform magic and make incredible things happen.

"Really... thank you."


	110. Swim

"Whoah!" Riki exclaimed as Kyousuke grabbed his hand. He stumbled after Kyousuke as they ran across the sand. "Calm down, will you?" The moment he said that, he wondered why he had bothered. Asking an excited Kyousuke to calm down was like asking the wind to not blow.

"But it's finally summer. Sun, sea and sand... we're going to enjoy it to the fullest!" Kyousuke pumped his fist into the air. "How about a swim? Come to think of it, you never really swam in the sea before, did you?"

"Not really." While Riki had indeed gone into public pools, trusting his friends to not let him drown should he fall asleep, he had considered the sea a bit too dangerous. Everyone else had understood. "With my narcolepsy, I didn't want to risk it, but I haven't had an attack in a long time now."

"Well, now we can go together in the sea for the first time." Kyousuke pulled his clothes off until he was wearing only trunks.

Riki did the same. Kyousuke took his hand and they ran into the sea together.

Swimming in the waves of the sea felt like a whole new experience. Riki felt a thrill as he kicked along Kyousuke. He looked at Kyousuke and they exchanged grins.

It was nice to not have to be afraid anymore.


	111. Bath

"Riki, let's take a bath together."

"Ehhh?" Riki looked at Kyousuke. His face grew warm. "Take a bath... together?"

"Yeah, why not?" Kyousuke seemed baffled that Riki would react in such a way. "We've had baths together before."

"Not since we were kids!" Riki ducked his head, hiding his reddening face. The thought of his and Kyousuke's naked bodies together was making him get hot and flustered suddenly. 

Kyousuke laughed. "Come on, Riki. Don't be shy."

"I-I'm not being shy... I..."

"You're so cute when you act like this." Kyousuke rubbed Riki's head, grinning.

"You just caught me by surprise, that's all."

"So, how about it?"

"Mmm. Okay."

"Alright, that's more like it." 

They got into the bath together, and Kyousuke held Riki from behind. Riki gradually relaxed, enjoying the soothing feeling of the hot water and Kyousuke's warm body pressing up against his. He sighed deeply.

"Feels nice, huh?" Kyousuke buried his face in the crook of Riki's neck.

"Yeah."


	112. Eyes

The five childhood friends were all doing their homework together in Riki and Masato's room. Riki was the first one to finish. He placed his pencil down and slowly looked around the room. His gaze fell upon Kyousuke.

Kyousuke was entirely focused on his work with a serious expression, his eyes not looking up from the textbook even once. Riki took in his appearance - his handsome features, those gleaming red eyes, the long eyelashes...

Kyousuke's eyes met his.

"Something wrong, Riki?"

"Huh? Uh, no, nothing." Riki hastily looked away.

"But you were totally staring just now."

"N-no, I wasn't!" Riki spluttered. He opened up his text book. "Better check my answers, check my answers..." He heard Kyousuke make an amused noise. Darn, he had totally been caught staring. How embarrassing.

Kyousuke was just too handsome. He couldn't help it.


	113. Lips

Riki was startled when Kyousuke's head rested on his shoulder without warning.

"Uh, Kyousuke?" Riki saw that his eyes were closed and realised he had fallen asleep. "Geez. This is because you keep going job hunting on foot, isn't it?"

There was still a good while before lunch break was over so Riki didn't see the need to rouse Kyousuke from his slumber. He stared at Kyousuke's face, intently studying his features. As he looked at his mouth, a thought occurred to him.

'What would kissing his lips feel like?'

Riki blushed and tore his gaze away, chewing down on his lower lip. No, no, no, he thought, he shouldn't be thinking about it, especially when Kyousuke was asleep. Though he did have quite an attractive mouth. And nose. And eyes. A very attractive face indeed.

Riki sneaked a glance at Kyousuke's face again. It wasn't often he got to see him like that, sleeping and unaware. He smiled and rested his head against Kyousuke's.


	114. Hands

"You'll be alright, won't you?"

"Yeah, everything is going to be fine. I'm sure it will." There was no hesitation in Riki's voice. His eyes shone with a firm determination as they looked into Kyousuke's.

"Good." Kyousuke took Riki's hand in his. "Then there's nothing for me to worry about." He gave Riki's hand a gentle squeeze. It felt so warm and reassuring as always. 

A lump formed in Riki's throat at the sensation of warm skin. He thought of all the times he had held onto Kyousuke's hand. With Kyousuke there, there had been nothing to be afraid of. He had always depended on him.

"It's all thanks to you, Kyousuke."

"Yeah. I'm proud of you, Riki." Kyousuke rubbed his head. "So, do your best."

They said their farewells and Riki watched him walk away. He could still feel the warmth where he and Kyousuke had held hands. As he looked at the palm of his hand, he felt a pang.

Everything was going to be different from now on, without Kyousuke there, but he would do his best. He didn't need to hold Kyousuke's hand anymore. Riki clutched his fist and nodded. Yes, it would be fine.


	115. Leather

"Oh, you kept this?"

Looking around Kyousuke's new apartment for the first time, Riki's attention was drawn to the baseball glove sitting on a shelf. He rubbed his hand over the smooth leather surface and smiled fondly.

It was a shame to think the days when Kyousuke would play baseball with the other Little Busters were over. Well, they could probably fit baseball in on the days he came to visit, he supposed, if there was time for that.

"Hm? Oh, this." Kyousuke came over and picked the glove up. "Baseball became something precious for us. Thanks to that, we were able to make so many more happy memories."

"I see. I can understand that." Riki looked at Kyousuke and saw the wistful look in his eyes. "We'll still be able to make more memories from now on, won't we? Baseball is something I'll never forget about either. We'll keep playing it forever and ever."

"Yeah." Kyousuke put the glove back. "We'll always have baseball."


	116. Fun

Riki sank to the ground where he lay flat on his back and gasped. Sweat was pooling up on his forehead and soaking into his bangs.

Kyousuke lay down next to him, also gasping for breath.

"Whew." Riki reached up, wiping a hand across his forehead. "I'm worn out now."

"That was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Riki rolled over onto his side, facing Kyousuke. "Hey, Kyousuke... how do you do it, anyway?"

"Mm? Do what?"

"You're so good at thinking of fun and crazy things to do. It's incredible."

"I don't know, I guess I just have a natural talent for it."

"Natural talent, huh. I wish I could be as good as you."

"I'm sure you're not that bad at it."

"You've always brought so much fun into my life," Riki murmured. "Ever since the day we met. It's always been so much fun. Honestly, I don't feel like I could ever compare to you."

"Well, you don't have to." Kyousuke smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure nobody's complaining behind your back about what a boring leader you are."

"Yeah, I'd certainly hope not." Riki smiled back.

"You don't have to be exactly like me. Just do your best and it will be fine, yeah?"

"Yeah."


	117. Silk

"You look nice, Riki."

"You think so?" Riki ran his fingers over the silky fabric draped around his body. "Thanks. I think you look nice too."

"Well then, are you ready?" Kyousuke asked. "Let's go and enjoy the festival." 

They walked to the festival, holding hands as they went.

"Come to think of it, it's the first time we're going to a festival as a couple."

"It is, isn't it?" The thought hadn't occurred to Riki. "Is there anything at a festival that's only for couples? I can't really think of anything."

"Me neither. It's just neat to think we're doing all these things as a couple now." Kyousuke looked at Riki with a wide grin. "Right, Riki?"

"Yeah, you're right." Riki tightened his hand around Kyousuke's a little and felt a gentle squeeze in response.


	118. Sheets

Riki cracked open his eyes and pushed the sheets away from his face. He looked at the crack of light shining through the window drapes.

This was his first morning waking up next to Kyousuke, since they had become a couple and moved in together. It was an exhilarating thought.

A smile played across his face and he turned over to see Kyousuke's face. Kyousuke was still sleeping soundly. Riki felt an urge to reach out and touch his face, but resisted. He liked seeing his peaceful face as he slumbered and he might wake him up for that matter. 

So he settled for watching Kyousuke and listening to the sound of his steady breathing.

After a few minutes, Kyousuke awoke. He blinked, seeming confused for a moment, then smiled. "Morning."

"Morning," Riki replied, moving in to kiss him.


	119. Dishes

"That's the last of the dishes done." Riki set aside the plate and pulled the plug. He watched the soapy water spiral down into the drain.

"You're so upstanding, keeping up with the chores." Kyousuke wrapped his arms around Riki from behind.

"Someone's got to be." Riki raised his head.

"Yeah." Kyousuke pressed his lips against Riki's forehead. "It's really something, isn't it? Living together in our own place... it would be a lot more fun if we didn't have to do chores."

"You're an adult now, you need to act like it."

"Hah! Me, act like an adult? Never." Kyousuke grinned, taking Riki by the hand and pulling him out of the kitchen. "I'll always be young at heart."

"I don't doubt that." Honestly, Riki wouldn't want it to be any other way.


	120. Life

"You'll really be going soon." Riki looked at Kyousuke with a hint of sadness in his eyes. "It's going to be strange when you're gone."

"Yeah, it will be strange for me too, not being with you and everyone else," Kyousuke said. "Try not to be too sad, Riki. I'll be worried otherwise."

"I know. It's just... I can't imagine life with you." Riki slipped his arms around Kyousuke and enfolded him in a tight hug. "It really feels like you've been with me for my entire life."

"I'm not going to be gone forever, you know," Kyousuke said, putting a hand on Riki's head. "We'll see each other every so often and we can call each other."

"I know. It's just not going to be the same." Riki raised his head to look into Kyousuke's eyes. "You've always been there for me. I probably wouldn't be where I was right now, if it wasn't for you. It's all thanks to you... that I got to the place where I am today. You're amazing, Kyousuke."

"Hey, now, you're not getting all sentimental now, are you?" Kyousuke hugged him back. "Come on, we might both cry at this rate. That wouldn't be cool, would it?"

Riki let out a short laugh. "No, I guess not."

"Rather than saying goodbye, how about see you later? After all, we'll see each other again."

"Yeah. Okay."


	121. Death

A sigh slipped through Riki's lips as he closed the book. The sound was faint, but not so much that Kyousuke didn't hear it. He looked up from the manga he had been absorbed in, throwing Riki a slightly concerned glance.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Riki jumped, his gaze quickly meeting Kyousuke's. "Oh, uh, yeah. It's just the book that I was reading. It was sad."

"Someone die or something? It's okay, I don't mind spoilers."

"Yeah." Riki put the book aside. "It was shocking. I didn't really see it coming."

"I see." Kyousuke put the manga aside and scooted closer to Riki. "I guess you never really know what to expect sometimes."

Riki made an agreeing murmur as he leaned into Kyousuke and he closed his eyes. "Well, it's not like I regret reading it or anything. I used to not like it very much when books and tv shows did stuff like that. Sometimes I wouldn't want to read or watch stuff again for a while."

Kyousuke rested his cheek against the top of Riki's head.

"If you try to avoid depressing things like that, you'll end up missing out on so much. I've learned that much by now. Thanks to you and everyone else." Riki raised his head slightly, turning his eyes toward Kyousuke. "It would be wonderful if the world could be a happy place with no death, pain or sadness, but that's such an unrealistic dream. "

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

"Even this happiness we have now... I hope it will never end." Riki slid his arm across Kyousuke's waist.

"I hope so too." Kyousuke's arm snaked around Riki's body in a gentle embrace.


	122. Blush

"Gosh, will you ever stop saying such embarrassing things?" Riki's face had turned a brilliant shade of bright red.

"But you're so cute when you blush." Kyousuke poked Riki's cheek. "Is it so bad I like seeing your blushing face?"

"Yes!"

"Aww, come on. You should accept a compliment when it's given to you."

"What kind of a compliment is that?" Riki frowned. "I'm not sure it's a good thing to look cute when I blush. I am a boy."

"You're a very cute boy." Kyousuke kissed his forehead. "I don't think it's a bad thing at all."

"Yeah, of course you wouldn't."


	123. Breathing

Riki was fast asleep, with his head nestled in the crook of Kyousuke's arm. Kyousuke listened to the sound of his steady breathing, the only sound to be heard in the stillness of the night, and slowly stroked his mop of hair.

Yet again, he thought about how lucky he was. 

It was a thought he had fairly often, ever since the day of the field trip. He had been so convinced he was going to die, but then Riki and Rin had performed a miracle and exceeded all his expectations. 

It was all thanks to them.

Kyousuke kissed the top of Riki's head and closed his eyes. He was so lucky to be by his side right now, and ever so glad for it.


	124. Day

"It's the anniversary today," Riki announced, as he and Kyousuke walked together through the town. "You know, of the day I met you and joined the Little Busters."

"It is, isn't it?" Kyousuke said. "You always remember every year."

"Of course I do. It's a very special day for me." Riki looked up to the sky with a smile, thinking back to that day long ago. He could still remember every detail of it as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. It was the day his life had started anew. "I'm so glad we met."

"Yeah, so am I." Kyousuke put his arm around Riki's shoulder. "Well then, let's go treat ourselves and celebrate this special day."


	125. Night

The town was still and quiet in the night. He and Kyousuke were the only ones walking down the street, holding hands as they walked together.

"It's strange, isn't it?"

"Mmm?" Kyousuke glanced at Riki. "What is?"

"It's night and there's nobody around." Riki shivered a little. "I don't know, I guess it just feels eerie."

"Yeah. It's like a whole different world at this time, isn't it?" Kyousuke looked around. "But I don't think it's so bad. Unless you're afraid a ghost is going to pop out or something."

"Of course I'm not thinking that."

"You don't have to be scared when I'm with you."

"I told you, I'm not scared."

Kyousuke made an amused sound and put his arm around Riki, holding him close. Riki relaxed against him and smiled. He always felt comforted being held like this.


	126. Glory

It was their first kiss, and it was absolutely glorious.

The soft touch of Kyousuke's lips pressing against his left Riki standing in a daze, staring into Kyousuke's eyes. His mouth hung slack as he registered the soft sensation still lingering on his lips. Right now, he felt like he was floating in the air.

"Again," he breathed out.

He'd never known Kyousuke could be such a good kisser.


	127. Fame

"I read all the news I could find about the accident, online."

"You did?" Riki looked at Kyousuke with surprise. Why would he want to read so much about that accident that had almost been the cause of tragedy? Riki had seen bits and pieces in the news, but he hadn't gone out of his way to read everything. It was better to put it behind him and try to forget the frightening image that still haunted his dreams from time to time.

"Well, I was stuck in the hospital and I was curious. I wanted to see what they were saying. One thing was strange."

"What was?"

"They never mentioned the rescuers." Kyousuke rested his chin in his hands. "Did you and Rin not want the credit?"

"Oh, well... it's not like I really wanted the fame, and Rin wouldn't have either. You know how she dislikes attention. I wasn't doing it because I wanted to be a hero. I did it because I wanted to save everyone, that's all. Why does it matter who saved them? In the end, all that matters is that we're alive."

"I see." Kyousuke nodded, smiling. "I bet you would have had a fair amount of attention. To think you saved an entire class from a crashed bus. People were wondering how it was even possible."

"Yeah." Riki exhaled. "Honestly, I don't want to think about it too much. Let's just think about the present and where we'll go from here. We're alive, right? That's the important thing."

Kyousuke looked at Riki for a while, then rubbed his head. "You've grown so much, Riki. I'm really proud of you."

"Eh." Riki smiled sheepishly. "It's all thanks to you, of course."

"Still, you did something amazing."

"I suppose so. But, you know, it's not like I want to be hailed as a hero or anything like that. I'd just like to put it behind me and look forward to the future."

"Well, that's fine," Kyousuke said. "I'm looking forward to seeing where you'll go from here too."


	128. Failure

It had all ended in failure.

Riki had been powerless against the trap Kyousuke threw him into, lost Rin in the darkness and ended up falling asleep in the face of despair. He had still been asleep when he was brought back.

The next morning, Kyousuke was just leaving the cafeteria after breakfast when he saw Riki. In Riki's eyes, Kyousuke could see a mixture of sadness, pain and anger burning deep within. A part of him immediately wanted to comfort Riki and to erase that pain, but he couldn't do that.

After all, he was the cause.

"Riki." Kyousuke spoke his name, even though he had no idea what he could possibly say next.

Riki lowered his head.

"Don't talk to me," he spat out in a shaky voice.

Kyousuke turned and watched Riki's back as he walked away. He felt a pang in his chest. If only he could tell Riki how sorry he was, but he couldn't do that.

Riki had to become stronger, so he would be able to face the despair that awaited him.

The time to reset was almost here.

There was one thing Kyousuke was thankful for: Riki wouldn't have to remember opposing him.


	129. Bus

Riki looked at the blazing wreckage of the crashed bus, his mouth hanging open as he took in the horrifying sight. Fierce flames were hungrily devouring every inch of it and a massive plume of smoke rose into the sky.

Just a minute ago, Kyousuke had been sitting against it, giving them the time they needed to save everyone. Had Riki come to his rescue just a few seconds later, he would surely have been done for. It had been so close.

"We did it. We really did it," Riki said. "Thank goodness." He looked at Rin, seeing her pale face and wide eyes, then at Kyousuke, who was still unconscious.

It was too early for relief. Kyousuke needed medical treatment as soon as possible. Just as he thought that, he heard the sound of spinning blades. In the distance, he saw helicopters.

"Rin, help is coming. Let's get Kyousuke there quickly."

Rin nodded without saying anything, and they staggered back to the clearing with Kyousuke's arms draped around their shoulders.

"Hang in there," Riki whispered into Kyousuke's ear. "I don't want you to ever leave me, so please, hold on."


	130. Watch

Riki checked his watch yet again as he waited by the school gates. He had already lost count of the number of times he had checked it by now.

"Geez. He's totally late," Riki muttered, looking at the road. Maybe he was being a bit impatient, he had to admit, but he just couldn't wait for Kyousuke to get here. He missed him so much now that he had graduated and looked forward to the days when Kyousuke would be visiting.

Five minutes later, Riki noticed Kyousuke walking up.

"Kyousuke!" The name sprang from his lips and Riki ran to fling his arms around him.

"Hey, Riki." Kyousuke patted his head. "Nice to see you."

"You're late." Riki gave him a reproachful look.

"Sorry. I just got a bit sidetracked."

Riki was about to ask why, then he heard a mew coming from Kyousuke's bag. "Oh. You're still doing that?"

"Of course." Kyousuke took Riki's hand in his. "Well, I'm here now. You can't stand waiting, huh?"

"W-well, I really miss you when you're not here," Riki admitted. "I can't help it."

"Yeah. I miss you too."


	131. Tie

"It ended in a tie." Riki flopped down and started chugging a bottle of water. He wiped his lips and set it down. "Huh, that's kind of disappointing."

"Eh, I wouldn't go so far as to say that." Kyousuke sat down next to him and sipped at his own bottle. "I mean, we had fun, didn't we?"

"Yeah, of course we did."

"So, there you go then. We had fun and that's all that matters, so there's no need to be disappointed."

"Hmm." Riki nodded as he considered Kyousuke's words. "Yeah, you're right. Fun is the most important thing, isn't it? Okay, I'm not going to be disappointed then."

"Good." Kyousuke patted his head.


	132. Near

It was night, long after the graduation ceremony had come to its end. Kyousuke was already gone and now Riki was sitting at the open window, looking out at the night sky.

There was one more year of high school left, a whole year where he wouldn't get to see Kyousuke all the time.

For the past eleven years, Kyousuke had always been near him. It was so strange to think that wouldn't be the case anymore.

When the time came for Riki to graduate, he wondered what he would do after that.

One thing was for sure though. Wherever he went, whatever he wanted to do, he wanted to be near Kyousuke again.


	133. Fence

"Let's take a shortcut."

Before Riki could object, Kyousuke had already scaled up a fence and was sitting on top of it.

"Huh?" Riki eyed the fence, blinking in consternation.

"What's wrong, you can't make it?" Kyousuke held out his hand. "I'll help you up."

"Well, it's not that, but..." Riki could hardly resist taking Kyousuke's hand when it was offered to him. He grasped Kyousuke's warm hand and allowed himself to be pulled up.

"There we go." Kyousuke leaped down.

"Gosh," Riki muttered, though he was smiling. Kyousuke had always been someone he could depend on, and he loved him so much for it.


	134. Lamp

Kyousuke snapped shut his manga volume and put it aside. He noticed Riki staring up at him.

"Hey. I wasn't keeping you up, was I?"

"No, not at all. I like watching you read." As far as Riki was concerned, watching Kyousuke's face while he displayed so many different emotions was definitely worth losing sleep for. He was just so charming when reading manga.

"Okay then." Kyousuke kissed Riki's head. "Goodnight." He reached over and flicked off the lamp.


	135. Emblem

"Here, I've got something for you." Kyousuke held out what appeared to be a shining metal disc, fitting snugly in the palm of his hand.

Riki took it from him and examined it closely. The emblem pictured on the disc was a cat with the words Little Busters written over a blazing flame. In fact, it looked just like the logo on Kengo's Little Busters jumper. A row of letters had been etched into the side. As Riki studied the letters closely, he realised they spelled the initials of the Little Busters members.

"This is..."

"It's a commemorative coin," Kyousuke replied. "I wanted to make some for the Little Busters. Everyone else will be getting one. What do you think?"

"Wow," Riki whispered, rubbing his thumb over the surface. "This is quite an idea you had." He looked at Kyousuke. "I think it's a really good idea."

"You do? Great." Kyousuke looked glad to hear it. "I'm sure everyone will treasure it, right?"

"Yeah. I definitely will." Riki wrapped his fingers around the coin tightly. "Thanks for this, Kyousuke."


	136. Luxury

"Luxury cruise ship for couples," Riki murmured, scrolling through emails on his cellphone. "Why am I getting this kind of junk mail anyway? Still, it would be pretty nice if we could go on one, wouldn't it?"

Kyousuke, who was lying next to him, glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Hmm. If I had that kind of money... I guess I'd buy a lot of manga."

"Uh huh." Riki gave him a dry look. "But, man, a romantic cruise, huh. I wonder what it's like." He lay down and looked at the sky.

"We don't need something like that." Kyousuke rolled over and faced him. "We're already together, right?"

"Yeah."

"Exactly. We don't need anymore than that." Kyousuke beamed.

Riki really couldn't think of any particular argument to that statement.


	137. Snow

"Yahoo! It's snowing!" Kyousuke punched the air. His eyes shone with pure delight as he twirled around among the spiralling snowflakes. "Isn't this great, Riki?"

Riki couldn't speak, as he was so entranced by the image in front of him. How much he loved to see Kyousuke in these moods. Now he too was starting to feel some sense of excitement, just watching Kyousuke be overcome by joy. It was certainly infectious.

"Let's hope it snows for a while." Kyousuke joined Riki's side and took his hand. "I'm looking forward to playing in the snow, aren't you?"

Riki raised his gaze to the grey sky. "Yeah."


	138. White

How many times now has he woken up to this world of white? Riki lost count a long, long time ago. It's such a familiar feeling now, to sink into the darkness and emerge to find himself surrounded by white. White ceiling, white walls, white drapes, everything is so white in contrast to the darkness he constantly falls into.

"Hey." Someone is speaking to him. "You're awake at last."

At least there's one thing he doesn't mind waking up to all the time.

Riki focuses his eyes on Kyousuke's face and sees his reassuring smile. It immediately washes away the negative feelings welling up within.

"Kyousuke... how long was I asleep again?" Riki looks at the window. He can see the sky turning purple.

"Just a few hours."

"I see. Thanks for being here with me."

"You don't have to thank me. I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

When Riki heard those words, he firmly believed them. If Kyousuke said it, he was so sure it would be true.


	139. Cherry

"Oh, there's only one cherry on the top, huh?" Kyousuke commented, eyeing the sundae the waiter had brought to the table. He and Riki had decided to share one for dessert. "You can have it, Riki."

"Eh? No, that's fine, you can have it."

Kyousuke dug his spoon into the sundae and fished out the cherry, along with a dollop of cream. He then waved the spoon at Riki. "Open up."

"Eeeeh, like I said... okay, okay." Riki hastily took it. Kyousuke really had no qualms about doing embarrassing stuff like this in public. He chewed and swallowed the sweet mixture of cherry and cream.

"Good?"

"Yeah." Riki licked his lips. "Thanks."


	140. Tree

"Have you ever noticed something about the trees?" Kyousuke asked suddenly, while he and Riki walked together through the courtyard.

"What is it?" Riki glanced at the nearby line of trees. They looked like perfectly ordinary trees to him. He couldn't imagine what Kyousuke found interesting about them in the least.

"Well, I noticed a lot of them have initials written on them. It seems couples who go to this school have often been putting their initials on the trees."

"Eh?" Riki really hadn't noticed such a thing. "Surely there must be a rule against that sort of thing."

"Yeah. It counts as vandalism of school property of course."

"Gosh. People sure can be reckless."

"It's nice and quiet. There are no disciplinary committee members around."

"You're not suggesting what I think you are, surely?" Riki saw Kyousuke grin. "You can't be serious! We'll get into trouble if we're caught!"

"It's okay, I found a blind spot with an ideal tree. We'll be fine." Kyousuke took Riki's hand. "Some things are worth taking risks for."

"No, no, no." Riki found it useless to protest as Kyousuke pulled him along. Once he got a crazy idea in his mind, he rarely ever gave up on it. "You're really going to do this?"

"Hah. Of course." Kyousuke knelt down and started etching a 'K' into the bark. Riki looked around anxiously the whole time. "You want to add yours, Riki?"

"Um... okay." Riki figured he might as well do it along with Kyousuke. "You'll keep watch, won't you?"

"Yeah, don't worry."

Riki took the knife Kyousuke had used and etched an 'R' next to Kyousuke's initial. His heart was thumping the whole time. "There. Done. Now, can we go?"

"Hold on, one more thing." Kyousuke took the knife back. Riki leaned in to see what he was doing.

"You're adding a heart as well?"

"Yeah, why not?" Kyousuke completed the heart in a few swift strokes and stood up. "There, all done."

Riki stared at their initials on the tree, surrounded by a heart, and his face flushed.

"Now our initials are forever immortalized on this tree." Kyousuke put his arm over Riki's shoulder. "What do you think?"

Riki honestly thought Kyousuke was nuts. Still, it wasn't such a bad thing. "I think it's great."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Kyousuke grinned. "Now, let's get out of here before we're caught."


	141. Ghost

Riki held Kyousuke's hand so tightly, Kyousuke was almost afraid that he was going to break the bones in them at this rate.

"That last one really got you, huh?" Kyousuke peered at Riki's face. The anxiety in his expression was clear as day in the illumination provided by the flashback.

"This is a really scary trial of courage," Riki muttered.

"That was quite the scream you gave too."

"It looked just like a corpse! And you were definitely freaked out too. I heard you."

"Uh, well..." Kyousuke coughed. "Kurugaya certainly is creative, I'll give her that. I underestimated her."

"I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Just as they turned the corner, a glowing white sheet flew at them. Riki screamed without thinking and flung his arms around Kyousuke.

"Riki, it's just a sheet. It's not really a ghost."

Riki pulled himself away from Kyousuke, his face burning. "Ugh. How could I fall for something so cliche? That's so embarrassing."

Kyousuke took his hand. "It's alright, you don't need to be scared when I'm here."

Riki swallowed and nodded, staring at his feet. Even if Kyousuke said that, Kurugaya's trial of courage was just way too scary to handle. He sure was glad to have Kyousuke here with him.

"Well then, shall we keep going?" Kyousuke asked.

"Y-yeah." Riki tightened his hold on Kyousuke's hand. "Let's go."


	142. Cuddle

"You're the only one here?" Kyousuke said as he came into the dorm room.

"Yeah." Riki was sitting on his bed, leafing through a magazine. "Masato went out for a run."

"So, it's just us for the moment." Kyousuke sat down next to him. He wrapped his arms around Riki and pulled him into a hug.

"Eh, what is it?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to cuddle."

"Oh." Riki put the magazine aside and leaned in. He certainly wasn't going to complain. Kyousuke's body felt so warm. He closed his eyes and smiled in contentment.

Kyousuke rested his cheek on Riki's head and hugged him just a little tighter. "You like cuddles, don't you?"

Riki was blushing a bit as he nodded. "Y-yeah, they feel nice."

Kyousuke caressed Riki's hair, smiling.


	143. Bench

Riki leaned against the bench and smiled in contentment as he basked in the rays of the sun. 

He heard footsteps approach from behind. They came right up to the back of the bench. Just as he sat straight up, about to turn around and see who it was, a pair of arms slipped around his neck. 

"Uwah!"

"Oh, did I startle you?"

"Kyousuke... geez, don't do that, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry, sorry."

Riki thought Kyousuke sounded more amused than sorry just now.

Kyousuke came round and sat next to him. "So, what are you up to?"

"Nothing much, just basking in the sun."

"I see." Kyousuke tilted his head back. "Spring is on the way, isn't it?"

"It's coming way too fast this year," Riki said, his voice sounding a little rueful. "At least that's what it feels like."

"I guess it would." Kyousuke took Riki's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Don't think about it too much."

"It's hard not to."

"If you spend the whole time dreading it, you won't be able to enjoy yourselves as much, you know? Hmm. I guess we'll just have to try and have more fun than usual."

"Eh?"

"Operation Take Our Minds Off Graduation. Better start brainstorming." Kyousuke got to his feet. "I'll make sure we have so much fun, you won't have any time to think about it. That's a promise."

"O-okay." Seeing Kyousuke's grin, Riki felt reassured. Kyousuke would surely come up with something amazing for everyone. Now he was really excited to see what Kyousuke was going to think up.


	144. Angels

The handwriting on the square shaped envelope is so familiar that Riki had already guessed who the sender was. Judging by the stiffness of the envelope, he figured it was a card. He eagerly tore at the flap and pulled out the card in a hurry. Riki took a moment to study the cover. It was a typical Christmas themed illustration depicting two angels surrounded by a wreath.

It sure was nice of Kyousuke to go to the trouble of sending him a card. Riki figured he should probably send one back, once he found where he had put the note with Kyousuke's address.

'Riki,' said the message. 'Merry Christmas. Hope you are having a nice time. Missing you lots, can't wait to see you soon. Kyousuke.'

Riki gazed at the message, feeling a surge of warmth. A broad smile spread across his face.

"I can't wait either," he murmured.


	145. Midnight

Riki put a hand over his mouth to cover his yawn.

Kyousuke noticed it. "You're not very good at staying up late, are you?"

"What time is it?" Riki mumbled.

"It's almost midnight."

"Is it..."

"You can always go to bed if you want. I can watch the rest of this by myself."

"No, it's okay." Riki wanted to stay up with Kyousuke, despite the overwhelming fatigue that was taking over his body. He rested his head against Kyousuke, blinking his eyes rapidly. He would try to stay awake.

Kyousuke looked at him ten minutes later and saw he was fast asleep. He drew the blanket up around Riki's shoulders and turned his attention back to the television, turning the volume down.


	146. Dawn

"Hey, Riki. Wake up."

Riki stirred awake and opened his eyes to see Kyousuke standing over him. "Hmm? Kyousuke?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes. It didn't feel like he had got enough sleep. "What time is it?"

"Early enough. The sun's coming up."

"Eeeeh? So why did you wake me up then?"

"This place has a great view so let's take advantage of it."

Riki still couldn't understand why Kyousuke had considered this necessary to wake him up at the crack of dawn.

"Put something on. We're going outside."

It was futile to argue so Riki did as ordered. The sky was still mostly dark, with a purple glow spreading over the horizon. Kyousuke found a suitable place to sit for them both.

"You wanted me to see the sunrise?" Riki looked out to the horizon. The sun was slowly rising up.

"Yeah. We don't get to see it like this very often so why not take advantage of it?"

"I see." Riki continued to gaze at the lightening part of the sky. "Well, it's not such a bad idea after all." Indeed, the sight before him did look quite impressive.


	147. Poker

"Shall we play cards?" Kyousuke held up a deck. "Might as well do something to pass the time, huh?" He glanced at the window, which was drenched in rivulets of water. "If only it wasn't raining."

"Yeah." Riki sighed. Well, playing cards with Kyousuke wasn't so bad.

"Hmm. Poker?"

"No way." Riki's answer was swift. Kyousuke was just way too good at concealing his tells and he could easily spot Riki's at a glance. There would be no contest whatsoever.

"You know, I've heard of this version of poker where if people lose, they have to remove an article of clothing"

"Eh?" Riki's eyes grew wide. "Wait, you're not trying to get me naked, are you?"

"No, I was just saying." A smile stretched across Kyousuke's face. "So, you really don't want to play that?"

"No!"

"Eh, we should do it with Masato and Kengo sometime. I'll file the idea away for later use."

Riki felt a creeping sense of dread at those words. One thing was certain, he was doomed.


	148. Fate

Kyousuke walked over to Riki's prone body and cradled him, gazing down at his sleeping face. Riki had failed again, but it would be fine. He could try again, as many times as needed, and he wouldn't even realize that time was looping again and again.

As he looked at that peaceful expression, Kyousuke felt a pang.

It wasn't easy putting Riki through all this but he had to, for his and Rin's sakes.

"Why does fate have to be so cruel?" Kyousuke murmured, stroking Riki's hair.

In a moment, the world would reset and Riki would forget the pain. He would return to the carefree days of smiling and laughter before facing that hardship once again. It was so easy to erase that pain.

If only that could be true for the hardships that faced him in the future.

"I know you're having hard times, but you have to be strong. Please, become strong enough to face that cruel fate for me." Kyousuke smiled with sadness showing in his eyes. "Well then, let's reset again."


	149. Skin

It's been so long since Riki last held Kyousuke's hand and felt the touch of Kyousuke's skin rubbing against his. His hand feels so warm. He's alive.

A lump forms in Riki's throat and he forces it back down.

He missed this so much.

Riki raises his head, his eyes meeting Kyousuke's, and Kyousuke grins. His heart gives a little skip.

"I really missed you," Riki says.

"Yeah." Kyousuke exhales, his hand grasping Riki's a little more firmly. "I missed you too."


	150. Demons

"Huh, where did Kyousuke go?" Riki noticed that Kyousuke was no longer with them. He excused himself and pushed his way through the crowds, until he saw Kyousuke standing in front of a booth displaying rows of masks. "Kyousuke, you should say something if you're going to wander off."

Kyousuke didn't say anything, nor did he turn around.

"Uh... Kyousuke?" Riki reached out to touch his arm.

At that moment...

"Blehhh!" Kyousuke whipped around, showing Riki the leering demon mask pictured on his face.

Riki responded with a stony look.

"Eh? What's with that lack of reaction?" Kyousuke removed the mask.

"I'm too old to fall for such a juvenile trick," Riki answered, sighing. "Seriously, we're not in elementary school anymore."

"Oh well. Want a mask, Riki?"

Riki eyed the masks. Every single one of them was a demon, and they were all bizarre or creepy looking. "No thanks. They all look weird."

"Really? I think they look pretty cool."

Riki raised an eyebrow. At times like this, he seriously had to question Kyousuke's taste.

"Okay then, I'll just get one for myself." Kyousuke went back to viewing the masks. "Hmm. I think I'll get this one... or maybe this one."

Riki watched him with a smile, shaking his head.


	151. Champion

"Yahoo! We did it!" Kyousuke jumped up and down, punching the air. "We're the champions!"

"Wow, we really did it." Riki felt an overwhelming sense of triumph. It felt so good to achieve victory.

"Yay!" Kyousuke grabbed hold of Riki's hands without warning and started twirling with him. "It's our victory, Riki!"

"Whoah, calm down, I'm going to get dizzy," Riki protested.

"Sorry, sorry." Kyousuke came to a halt. He grinned at Riki. "Well done, Riki. We really did a good job together, didn't we?"

"Yeah. Right now, I feel like there's nothing we couldn't possibly do."

"Same here." Kyousuke clapped a hand on Riki's shoulder. "Hell, I feel like we could even take on the entire world if we wanted to."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"That kind of attitude won't do. Keep aiming for great heights and who knows what we'll be able to achieve? I'm sure you can accomplish even more incredible things, Riki."

"You think so? Um..." Riki ducked his head. "Thanks, Kyousuke."


	152. Diapers

What in the world had driven Riki to choose 'dare' when it was his turn? He should have known Kyousuke would have come up with something crazy, and yet, he had done it anyway. Riki supposed he had been feeling braver than usual. Maybe some desire to prove himself had driven him to it.

Kyousuke had taken out a packet of diapers (why he had them in the first place, Riki had no idea. Did he really expect someone to let him give them a dare? Why was he questioning it when he himself had done so anyway?) and smirked. That look told Riki doom was impending.

"I dare you to put a pair of diapers on the head of the principal's statue. Then take a picture so we know you actually did it. Leave it there so people will find it in the morning."

Riki's heart was pounding as he crept alongside the school building. The statue was right up ahead. He took a deep breath and looked around. There was nobody else to be seen.

More than anything, he wanted to run right back to the dorm but he wouldn't do it. He was stronger now and he was going to prove it.

Riki carefully took out the diapers and pulled them onto the statue's head. His hand was shaking as he took out the cellphone and it took several tries before he managed to take a picture that wasn't blurry.

When he finally had the photo, he raced back to his room.

"You're back. That took ages," Kyousuke said. "We were about to form a search party."

"Here you go." Riki held out the cell phone, displaying the picture with a proud smile. "I did it."

"Wow." Kyousuke looked astonished. "You really did it. Well done, Riki, I'm seriously impressed."

Riki's chest swelled with pride. It felt so good to have Kyousuke praising him.


	153. Grass

Riki sat down on the grass next to Kyousuke and studied his face. His eyes were giving off a hint of wistful sadness. Riki followed the line of his gaze to the sports field. He thought of all the happy times the Little Busters had shared on that very field. Kyousuke was probably thinking about the same thing.

From tomorrow, Kyousuke would no longer be able to play baseball with them all the time. It was a saddening thought indeed.

"I'm going to miss it," Kyousuke said, letting out a short sigh. "Playing baseball, having fun with you guys, doing all sorts of things... it's a pity I'm going to have to leave it all behind."

Riki nodded. "Yeah. But, when you visit us, we'll definitely play baseball with you again, right?"

"Of course." Kyousuke looked at him, a sad smile forming on his face. "I'll be looking forward to it."


	154. Missing

Everyone is having fun. Riki is so glad to see the smiles on their faces and to hear their laughter as they all participate in random activities, and he's enjoying it so much too. He's trying his best as the substitute leader.

But he can't forget. 

He looks at the empty chair at the table in the cafeteria every morning. 

He thinks about how that spot is empty when they sit around the box in the evening.

He tries to push it to the back of his mind, but he can't forget.

Kyousuke is missing from their daily lives, and he reminds himself of it every day.

Riki lies awake at night, wondering when the day will come that Kyousuke returns to them. Without Kyousuke, his world just can't be complete.


	155. Fade

"I love you, Riki."

Kyousuke is standing before him with a sad smile on his face. The both of them are surrounded by an endless world of white.

With that declaration said, Kyousuke begins to fade away.

Riki screams his name and runs toward him.

Just as he reaches Kyousuke and tries to throw his arms around him, Kyousuke has faded away and his arms sweep through the air. Riki falls forward-

And he wakes up.

Riki gasps, struggling to piece his thoughts together. He can hear Masato snoring overhead. That familiar sound is a comfort to him after that startling dream.

What if this is a dream too?

Which is reality?

How can he tell?

This has to be reality. Riki knows that, but there are times when he just can't be sure, and it scares him. He wishes Kyousuke would return to them soon. When Kyousuke returns, he's sure his worries will finally be eased.


	156. Mail

It's a rare occasion for Riki to receive mail. He's only ever received the occasional postcard from Kyousuke during his job hunting trips, and they were usually for Rin, Masato and Kengo as well. This letter though is just for him. As expected, it's from Kyousuke.

Inside the envelope, Kyousuke has included some photo booth pictures. Riki can't help but smile at the random expressions he makes for the camera.

He reads the letter. Kyousuke tells him of the stuff that's happening at his job, some tidbits of his day to day life, and tells Riki he's always thinking of him, as well as the others.

The letter is signed with a 'Love you always'.

Riki skims the letter again and clasps it to his chest. "I love you too."


	157. Oven

"Eh? Kyousuke?" Riki was surprised when Kyousuke came into the apartment. "You're back early."

"Yeah, they let me leave work earlier than usual. Hm? What's that smell?" Kyousuke headed to the kitchen.

"Uwah!" Riki chased after him. "W-wait!"

"Oh, you're cooking something in the oven. Whatever it is, it smells good." Kyousuke looked at Riki, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong, why are you in a panic?"

Riki hung his head. "It was supposed to be a surprise. Since today's your birthday, I wanted to... make something."

"Oh, I see, I see. Well, no problem. I'll just stay out of the kitchen until it's ready. Whatever it is, I'm looking forwards to it." Kyousuke patted Riki's head as he left.

That Kyousuke, surprising him as always, Riki thought as he knelt down to peer in the oven. He hoped Kyousuke would like the cake he was making for him.


	158. Clock

How many times now has he reset the clock?

It feels like it's been years since the moment of the accident. That moment of despair when the darkness overcame him at the bottom of the cliff is almost a distant memory at this point. He's repeated this same point of time over and over. 

No matter how many times it must be repeated, he'll never stop, not until he's achieved what he set out to do.

When he sees Riki smiling and having fun, Kyousuke knows it will be worth it in the end. In the meantime, he'll keep enjoying the extra time he has with Riki, up until the last moment.


	159. Feathers

Kyousuke reaches out and deftly catches a feather spiralling down between his fingers. He twirls it around for a little while, examining it intently. The feather must have come from a bird just now, he supposes, raising his eyes to the cloudy sky overhead. It's strange how real this world feels, he thinks, with all these little details. Sometimes, he could almost forget this is just a dream.

"Kyousuke."

Riki's voice startles him. He still has a serious look on his face when he turns around.

"Are you okay?" Riki seems concerned.

"Huh?" Kyousuke realizes his error. It's not good to let Riki see him in these serious moods so he quickly tries to deflect him. "Oh yeah... I was just thinking about how to use this."

"Hm?"

Kyousuke brandishes the feather at Riki's nose. However, Riki reacts quickly, backing away.

"H-hey..."

"Aww, I wanted to tickle your nose and see you go 'achoo'."

Riki sighs. "Please don't tease me like that."

"But it's so hard to resist." Kyousuke releases the feather and it falls. He studies Riki's disgruntled face with a smile fixed to his own. How lucky Riki is to be unaware this is a dream, he thinks.


	160. Hips

Kyousuke and Riki are lying together on the bed, enjoying a quiet moment together with nobody around to disturb them.

Kyousuke buries his face in the back of Riki's neck and slips his hands around Riki's body, brushing them over his hips.

Riki wriggles. "That tickles."

Kyousuke brings his hands up and starts circling his fingers around Riki's stomach.

"Seriously, stop that." Riki pushes his hands away.

Kyousuke chuckles and folds his arms around Riki in a tight embrace. He closes his eyes and exhales deeply with a smile. It's nice to have moments like this, just holding on and basking in each other's presence.


	161. Music

Riki is leafing through a book as he passes the time with Kyousuke, with the radio playing in the background. The strains of music reach his ear and he pauses, listening to the melodious voice. Someone is singing about a lost love.

"This sounds like a sad song."

"Hm?" Kyousuke raises his head, his attention diverted from the manga he is reading. "Oh, the radio. Yeah, I guess. I don't really pay much attention to music."

"Me neither. To be honest, I don't really enjoy sad music much."

"You've always disliked sad things, haven't you?" Kyousuke looks intently at Riki. There's something in his expression that Riki can't quite read. "People can't hope to hide from sad things forever. Sooner or later, it's something that will probably have to be faced."

"Mmm." Riki wonders if there is meant to be some deep meaning in his words. This isn't really a subject he wants to continue, so he turns his attention back to the book and tries not to think about it.


	162. Daydream

During study period, Riki's attention wanders to the open window. He rests his hand in his cheek as he gazes at the clear sky. It's such a warm day that he's feeling hot, even in his summer uniform. It's hard to concentrate on studying like this.

He drifts off into a daydream, imagining if Kyousuke was with them. The Little Busters, all together again, would play baseball together under that blue sky, they would have fun and laugh with each other.

It would be such a wonderful summer.

His eyelids grow heavy. Riki realizes what is happening and sits up, rubbing his eyes.

For a moment, he thinks it wouldn't be so bad to just sleep anyway. If he dreamed about Kyousuke, that would be nice. However, he dismisses that urge and struggles to focus on his work.

Kyousuke will be back soon. He just needs to be patient and wait out the long days without him.


	163. Hanged Man

Riki was utterly stumped by the long rows of dashes in which letters were meant to be placed. No matter how many gaps he managed to fill, he was still no closer to figuring out just what words Kyousuke had in mind.

"Uh... Q?"

"Nope." Kyousuke added the final stroke on the little graphic of a hanging man. "You lose this round."

"Ugh." Riki gave a sigh of frustration. Yet again, he had lost a game of Hangman. "You used the title of a manga again, didn't you?"

"Yep." Kyousuke filled in the rest of the gaps and showed him.

Riki raised an eyebrow as he saw the title. "Um. Isn't that kind of a really long title?"

"Well, it's not uncommon to see long titles these days. They are usually adaptations of light novels though."

Riki slowly shook his head and frowned at Kyousuke. "You are totally using your otaku status to your advantage, you know. How am I supposed to beat you when I hardly ever read manga?"

Kyousuke just smirked. "Well then, why don't you try and think of something I won't be able to guess?"

"Ugh, geez." Riki took the paper and started racking his brains. He wasn't sure how he was going to beat Kyousuke, but he was definitely going to try his best.


	164. Play

Riki reads the text message and his heart pounds. It's here, the long awaited day has finally come, and Kyousuke is even there already at the school gate. He races over there as fast as he can go.

Kyousuke raises a hand in greeting. "Hey."

"Kyousuke!" Riki flings himself on Kyousuke, embracing him tightly. "You're here!"

"Whoah, easy." Kyousuke chuckles and pats Riki's head. "You really missed me, huh?"

"Uh huh, I missed you a lot." Riki lets go and takes a step back. "It's just not the same without you."

"Well, I'm here now. So, have you been thinking of fun things to do while I was gone?" Kyousuke looks at him expectantly. "I'm really in the mood to play after that long week."

"Sure, I've thought of a couple things. We've been doing our best to have fun while you were gone too. Say, tomorrow, should we play baseball?"

"Sure, I'd love that."

"Great. Let's go see everyone then." Riki starts walking back to the dorm and Kyousuke follows. "I guess you haven't been playing around much there."

"Not really. My acquaintances from work are all adults, you know. Their idea of fun is go out to the bar and watch television. Boring."

"Oh dear." Riki looks sympathetic. "It's really not much fun as an adult."

"Yeah. You guys are so lucky." Kyousuke slings an arm around Riki's shoulders. "I'm envious."

"There, there. We'll play lots over the weekend, and have a ton of fun to make up for it, okay?"

"Okay. I'm looking forward to it."


	165. Truth

"We've had so much fun this past month." Riki looks over his shoulder at Kyousuke with a radiant smile on his face. "I've enjoyed it so much. It really was a great idea to play baseball after all."

"Yeah." Kyousuke's heart does a little flop as he sees Riki looking so happy. If only Riki could always be that happy. That isn't an option though. One day, Riki will have to learn the truth.

"It's all thanks to you, Kyousuke. You always think of the best ideas." Riki exhales. "It would be nice if we could keep doing stuff like this for the rest of our lives. I hope we'll be together forever."

"Together forever, huh," Kyousuke repeats quietly, casting his eyes downward. How much he wished for that too.

But it was an impossible wish.

One day, Riki would have to face that truth and he would have to see that smile disappear from his face. However, Kyousuke would see to it he would make Riki strong enough to smile again.


	166. Stay

Riki blinks back the tears threatening to spill over, taking a deep breath. He mustn't cry. He won't cry.

A part of him really wants to cry and to tell Kyousuke how much he wishes he could stay here with him, but he can't do that. He forces that weakness back and grips his fists.

It's really painful having to say goodbye.

As Riki looks at Kyousuke, he wonders if he's also struggling with his emotions. It has to be hard for him to say goodbye to everyone and depart from the high school life they enjoyed so much. It must be even worse when Kyousuke is the only one leaving.

That's right. Kyousuke is being strong and holding back his emotions, so Riki must do the same. After all, he's taken Kyousuke's role, so he must be strong like him.


	167. Nice

Riki was focusing intently on the work laid out in front of him when a pair of arms snaked around him. He was startled that his pen jumped on the page, leaving a line in its wake.

"Geez! What are you doing?"

"I'm bored." Kyousuke started kissing Riki's neck.

"Hey, come on... I have to do my work."

"You can do it later. Let's spend some quality time together." Kyousuke nuzzled him, brushing his lips over Riki's soft skin. "Rikiii..."

"Man, you are impossible." Riki exhaled. It felt so nice having Kyousuke kiss him like this, he could hardly bring himself to resist. "Okay then."

"That's more like it." Kyousuke grinned as he gently pulled Riki from the chair.


	168. Mean

"I think a lot of girls got upset when the news of us dating got out," Riki said, as he walked alongside Kyousuke, holding his hand.

"You think so?" Kyousuke looked at him with a small smile. "Well, I guess it's to be expected. I am popular with the girls."

"Some of them have even been giving me mean looks when they walk past."

"What? Really?" Kyousuke's surprised expression swiftly changed to a frown. "Well, that's not very nice, is it? I hope it doesn't get out of hand."

"It's fine, honestly." Riki gave him a reassuring smile. "Whatever happens, I can handle it. It's really no big deal."

"Okay, if you say so." Kyousuke smiled back.


	169. Cheating

Riki raised an eyebrow at the row of letters Kyousuke had placed down on the board. "Um... just what the heck is a Manaxe?"

"It's the name of the main character's weapon from a manga."

Riki stared at him. "Hey, come on, you can't do that. That's cheating."

"No, it's not. It's totally a word if it exists somewhere and it exists in a manga. I can show you if you want."

"That's not the point! You're supposed to use dictionary words. It says so in the rules."

"Yeah, well, we're not playing regular Scrabble, we're playing my version of Scrabble, and I say words from manga are okay."

"Are you actually serious right now?" Riki sighed. Of course, he knew Kyousuke was being serious. "You are impossible sometimes, I swear."

"It's your turn now, Riki," Kyousuke said, with a shameless grin on his face.


	170. Change

It had been two weeks since graduation and Kyousuke had come to visit for the first time. Though he was as cheerful as always and had immediately suggested something fun for everything to do, Riki still noticed that he seemed more tired than usual. When the two of them had a moment alone, he approached him.

"Hey, Kyousuke. Is everything alright?"

"Eh? Yeah, of course it is. Why?"

"Well, you just seemed a bit tired. Is it because of work?"

"Eh, well, I guess that might be part of the reason. Now that I'm having to live like a responsible adult with a job and my own place, I suppose it is pretty tiring. Still getting used to it, you know? It's fine, though."

"I see. Yeah, I guess that would be tiring." Riki looked thoughtful. "You're an adult now, huh. It means you can't just play around and have fun all the time anymore."

"Yeah." Kyousuke nodded, sighing a little. "But I'll make up for it by having as much fun as possible whenever I come to visit so it's fine."

"Even if you've become an adult now, you'll never change, will you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you'll always want to have fun and play with us, won't you?"

Kyousuke chuckled. "Are you really worried about that, Riki?" He rubbed Riki's head. "Of course I will. That side of me will never change. I'll always be a kid at heart, I promise."

"Good. I'm glad." Riki returned his smile. "We'll always be playing together for the rest of our lives, won't we?"

"Yeah, definitely."


	171. Piano

The sound of piano music reaches Riki's ears and he opens one eye to look at the television. It's a programme where someone is playing the piano. He sits up and looks over at Kyousuke, who is seated on the floor with a manga in his lap, his head bobbing as he snoozes. No wonder he hasn't noticed that his programme is over.

"You fell asleep, huh?" Riki murmurs, staring at Kyousuke. It's understandable on a hot day like this. There's little to do and both of them are content to just relax. A smile spreads across his face as he continues watching Kyousuke sleep. The soothing piano music feels somehow appropriate for a quiet moment like this. He closes his eyes and continues to listen.


	172. Pearls

"It's been ages since we last came here together, hasn't it?" Kyousuke walks past the rows of shop windows. "Of course, that's because I was in the hospital for so long." He sighs. "It took up my entire summer vacation too. Bummer."

"A lot of people lost their summer vacation because of that accident." Riki looks at Kyousuke's back as he follows him. "It was some bad luck."

"No kidding. When that bus crashed, I was honestly regretting my decision to sneak onto the field trip." Kyousuke comes to a stop. He looks at the shop window, his gaze falling on a bust displaying a string of pearls around its neck. "I suppose it was a good thing I was there though. Who knows how things might have turned out otherwise."

"Rin and I definitely wouldn't have been able to save everyone if it wasn't for you." Riki stands next to him, gazing at their reflections. "In the end, your stubborn nature really paid off." He lets out a short laugh. "To think you ended up doing something so crazy like sneaking onto our field trip... I just knew you would."

Kyousuke laughs also. "Yeah, you know me well."

"Of course. I've been by your side for ten years now." Riki looks at Kyousuke's face. And hopefully he'll be with him for many more, he thinks.


	173. Take

"You're going to be graduating soon." Kyousuke looks expectantly at Riki's face. "How does it feel?"

"Hm. Well, I do feel sad that my high school days are coming to an end, but at the same time, I feel a little excited." Riki sits back and looks up with a smile. "It's a whole new start. I wonder where the future will take me."

"We'll be able to spend more time together." Kyousuke looks thoughtful. "Wouldn't it be nice if we could go travelling someday? I would take you to all sorts of exciting places. We could go all over Japan together. It would be fun, wouldn't it?"

"Travelling together, huh? Yeah, that would be fun." Riki thinks for a little while. "I've never traveled very far before, not since I was really little anyway." That time was so long ago, before his parents died, that he can barely remember it.

"Yeah. We never could afford to travel very far." Kyousuke puts his chin in his hand. "Well, it's definitely on my to-do list. One day, when I've got enough money, we'll go travelling to new places together."

Riki looks at Kyousuke and nods. "I'll look forward to that then."


	174. Give

"Hold on, Kyousuke."

Kyousuke is about to walk through the school gate when Riki stops him. He turns around with a quizzical look.

"I've got something to give you. It's from all of us." Riki reaches into his bag and takes out a thin, leather bound book. "It was my idea. Here you go."

Kyousuke opens up the book and flips through the thick cardboard pages. On each page is a picture featuring the members of the Little Busters. "This is..."

"I thought you might like it. What do you think?"

Kyousuke closes the album and smiles. "Thanks, Riki. This is great." He puts his arms around Riki in a tight hug. "I'll treasure it."

Riki nods happily. "Good. Well then, see you, Kyousuke."

"See ya," Kyousuke replies, clutching the album to his chest as he turns and leaves.


	175. Big

"Did you manage to have fun without me?" Kyousuke asks.

"Yeah. We tried. It would have been a lot more fun if you were with us of course. You always manage to entertain us so well."

"Well, I guess I'd better up for lost time, huh? When I'm not job hunting, I'll make sure we're enjoying ourselves." 

Kyousuke looks at Riki with a big grin stretching from ear to ear, causing his heart to give a little skip. How Riki missed seeing that pure smile of his.

"It's good to have you back, Kyousuke."

"Thanks. I'm glad to be back too."


	176. Small

Kyousuke embraces Riki in a hug and holds on. He rests his cheek against that soft head of hair and closes his eyes.

He thinks back to how he used to take care of Riki, and look after him. When Riki was in tears or worried, Kyousuke would do his best to make those tears go away and ease his worries. Riki had always seemed so small and scared back then.

There's no need to shield him now.

Still, hugs are something neither of them really want to give up.


	177. Grow

"Hm, what is it?" Riki asks, noticing that Kyousuke is staring at him rather intently.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking, that's all." Kyousuke rests his chin in his hands. "You've managed to do so much while I was away. It sounds like you did a pretty good job in my place."

"Well..." Riki scratches his cheek. "I managed. I wouldn't say I'm quite on your level yet though." There were still times he would struggle to think of something to do. In the end, someone else would usually think of something.

"But you've really grown. I'm impressed." Kyousuke exhales. "Still, no matter how much you grow, you'll always be my cute little Riki." His mouth stretches in a grin.

Riki flushes. "Don't say such embarrassing things, Kyousuke!"

Kyousuke just laughs.


	178. Mislead

"C'mon, Riki, let's go and play."

"But I've got to do this planning for the next baseball game." Riki didn't even tear his gaze away from the papers for a second.

Kyousuke tutted. "You take baseball way too seriously, Riki."

Riki raised an eyebrow at that comment. Wasn't Kyousuke was the one who got them to do it in the first place?

"Riki~"

Riki tried his best to focus on his task.

After a long pause, Kyousuke spoke again.

"Riki, you know I love you, right?"

Riki jerked his head up.

"Yep, that's more like it." Kyousuke nodded in satisfaction.

Riki blushed, realising he had fallen for that same trap yet again. Why did he fall for it every single time? "Sheesh. You should be careful about saying misleading things like that, you know."

"Misleading...? Ah, yeah, haha. I suppose you're right."

Kyousuke's voice sounded a bit off just now. Or maybe Riki was just imagining it. He sighed and put the pen down.

"Okay, okay. I'll play." Kyousuke sure was hard to resist. Anyway, Riki supposed he probably did have a point about taking it too seriously.

"Alright, that's more like it," Kyousuke said happily.


	179. Cookies

"Here's my Valentine's Day present for you."

Kyousuke took a wrapped bag from his pocket and held it out.

Riki took the bag and pulled away the ribbon. As he opened it up, he saw several cookies in the shape of hearts, covered with red and pink icing.

"You like cookies, right?"

Riki nodded. "These look tasty." He took one and popped it into his mouth. "Mmm. They do taste great."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it." Kyousuke smiled. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Thanks, Kyousuke." Riki popped another cookie into his mouth. "I'll give you your present soon. So, did you make these yourself?"

"Uh huh. They came out well, didn't they?"

"Yeah." Riki tied the bag up. He had a feeling he might end up eating them all at once if he wasn't careful, they were just that good. "You really did a good job."

"Awesome." Kyousuke's smile widened into a grin. "Well then, I can't wait to see what you got me a present."

Riki hung his head. "It's not homemade though." Now he was starting to feel bad.

"Haha, don't worry about it. It's the thought that counts, right?" Kyousuke patted his head. "I'll gladly accept anything you have to give me, Riki, so don't worry about it."

"Oh... okay then." Riki smiled in relief, appeased by Kyousuke's words.


	180. Push

"Do you still remember the dream world?" Riki asks.

"Hm?" Kyousuke seems to be startled by the unexpected question. "Well, yeah, I still remember a bit." The details of the dream, however, are growing foggier with every passing day. He doubts he will ever forget it completely though. "What about you?"

"Just bits and pieces," Riki replies. "It's mostly just us having fun together. I remember doing stuff like the trial of courage or kick the can. I remember doing a lot of stuff with Rin as well."

"With Rin, huh..." Kyousuke's brow creases. "You don't remember any particularly painful things, do you?"

"Painful things?" Riki tilts his head. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Never mind." Kyousuke shakes his head. Maybe Riki doesn't remember being pushed into the darkness or the hardships he was forced through. It's probably just as well.

"Well, I must have undergone some hardships in that world. You were trying to make me stronger after all." Riki smiles. "Whatever you had me go through, it was all for that purpose. I should be thankful to you."

"Is that so?" Kyousuke feels appeased hearing Riki's words. "Well, that's good, then."


	181. Pull

The car draws up a short distance away from the slope. Kyousuke and Riki step out of the car and look toward the darkening horizon.

"Come on, Riki."

Without waiting for an answer, Kyousuke grabs Riki's hand and pulls him along. The motion steals Riki's breath away as usual. He runs as fast as he can to keep up with Kyousuke as they hurtle down the slope, struggling not to fall over.

They come to a stop as they reach the lake and Kyousuke points. "Look, this is what I wanted to show you."

Riki sees lots of little tiny glowing dots spiralling around in the air. It's a beautiful sight that leaves him speechless.

"I read about it in a guidebook. Thought we should see it at least once." Kyousuke looks at Riki. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Riki nods.


	182. Gravity

As always, it hits Riki out of nowhere.

His body goes limp and the forces of gravity pull him down as he sinks into nothingness.

When he wakes up, he's lying on the grass with his head in Kyousuke's lap.

"Kyousuke..."

Kyousuke smiles and strokes his head. "Hey, Riki. You feeling better?"

"Mmm." Riki sits up and blinks, shaking his head to clear the fog. "You sat out here with me the whole time?"

"Sure. The weather's good, so why not? You weren't out that long anyway."

"I see." Riki smiles. Kyousuke is always there for him, no matter what, staying with him without complaint. He's so glad to have friends like him.


	183. Temperature

"Your temperature is still high." Kyousuke eyed the thermometer.

"Mmrph." Riki was having trouble saying anything coherent in his current state. His head was foggy and he could barely think.

"I'll try cooling down the cloth again." Kyousuke removed it from his forehead and left. He came back and replaced it, then brought a cup to Riki's lips. "Try drinking something."

With Kyousuke's help, Riki was able to sip at the liquid. It was cold and refreshing. As his head hit the pillow, he sank back into sleep.

When Riki next awoke, Kyousuke was still there with his nose buried in a manga.

"Kyou...suke..."

"Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Bit better." Riki stared intently at Kyousuke's face. "It's been a while."

"Since what?"

"The last time I was like this. You always stayed with me like this and looked after me... thanks."

"There's no need to thank me."

"I'm so glad... that you're always with me. I love you, Kyousuke."

Kyousuke put a hand on his warm forehead, stroking his damp bangs. "I love you too."


	184. Hurt

The timing was off and Kyousuke's stunt resulted in him hitting the ground at an awkward angle. He clutched his arm where it had struck the ground, gritting his teeth.

"Kyousuke!" Riki ran over to him and knelt down. "Are you hurt?"

"I... I'm fine," Kyousuke gasped out, despite his pained expression. He forced a smile. "You don't need to worry."

"You don't look fine," Riki pointed out. He could see that Kyousuke was turning pale, and there were even beads of sweat forming on his face. "It really hurts, doesn't it? What if it's broken?"

"It's not broken. I'm sure of it." Kyousuke struggles to his feet, clutching his arm. "You're such a worrywart, honestly."

"With friends like you guys, how could I not be?"

"Good point. Okay, I'll take it easy for now. This arm's not going to let me do otherwise for the time being."

Riki looked at Kyousuke's strained expression, thinking how amazing it was that he could put on such a brave face despite being in obvious pain. He really was something alright.


	185. Shine

"Let's go check out the bookstore," Kyousuke suggests, as he and Riki are walking through town. "I want to see if this manga volume's out yet."

"Sure."

They go inside and walk over to the manga section. Kyousuke makes a delighted exclamation and hurries over to pick up a manga volume from a table.

"Alright, it's here! I've really been looking forwards to this."

Riki takes in the sight of Kyousuke's eyes, shining with delight, and his radiant smile stretching from ear to ear. His heart immediately does a flop. He watches Kyousuke rush over to the counter with a smile on his own face.

He really enjoys moments like these.


	186. Dull

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" Kyousuke grinned. "Did you enjoy yourself, Riki?"

"Yeah, of course." Riki smiled back at him. He always had so much fun with Kyousuke around. Life without him would just be unimaginable. His thoughts drifted back to those days of despair before he met the Little Busters.

Everything had been so dull. All life had lost its colour. He could only spend every day wallowing in despair with his hands around his legs.

If it hadn't been for Kyousuke, Riki couldn't imagine where he would be right now. If the days had continued to be so dull and depressing, would he just have given up in the end? It wasn't really something he wanted to think about.

"Riki?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking." Riki slipped his hand into Kyousuke's. "I'm really happy we're together."

"So am I." Kyousuke gently squeezed his hand.


	187. Right

Riki's heart is thumping and he's feeling dizzy from the euphoria. Kyousuke leans in to kiss him again and he tingles all over.

"I really love you, Riki." Kyousuke caresses Riki's cheek.

Riki puts his hand over Kyousuke's and nods. He can scarcely believe it. The two of them are really really dating.

It doesn't even matter that they are both boys. He doesn't care about that at all.

This just feels so right.


	188. Wrong

"I don't get it." Riki is lying across the grass, propping himself up on his hands.

"Hm?" Kyousuke looks at him as he takes a sip from his juice bottle.

"People who say it's wrong for boys to love other boys. Just, why? I don't see what's wrong about it at all."

"That's because it's not. There are ignorant people in this world who look down on things they don't consider normal." Kyousuke made a derisive noise. "The best thing to do is just ignore them. Don't try to let them try to spoil your happiness. Did someone say something?"

"No... not directly anyway." Riki has however noticed the occasional stare or seen people whisperng as they walk past. Even if he tries to brush it off, it's still unsettling.

"Well, just don't let them get to you." Kyousuke kisses Riki's cheek. "There's nothing wrong with the way we are."

"I know." Riki's mouth curves in a small smile.


	189. Gasping

"Hey, who's there?" A teacher's voice calls out.

"Crap, we'd better run." Kyousuke grabs Riki's hand and takes off. 

Riki almost falls over, but manages to regain his balance just in time and is able to catch up to Kyousuke. They run and run, not stopping until they are back in the dormitory building. The two of them stop and crouch over, gasping for breath.

"Hah... hah... that was close, huh?" Kyousuke looks amused at their near plight. "Good thing we got away."

"You always have to do such crazy things." Riki spits out between gasps. "You really could get caught one day."

"Nah. Not gonna happen."

"Seriously." Riki hangs his head. Life is always so crazy with Kyousuke around, but he's not complaining. In fact, he really enjoys it.

"There's no harm in taking risks now and then." Kyousuke's grin widens. "In fact, I think it makes things just a little bit more fun."


	190. Drowning

Riki felt the waves pull at his body, tugging him further away from the shore. He kicked faster to no avail and the waves continued to bear him away. A surge of panic overtook him, causing him to kick and thrash against the treacherous current. All the energy he had was seeping away from his body.

The shore was so far away now. Everyone else were mere pinpricks in the distance. He built up all the energy he had left to let out a yell before the waves came over his head.

He was so tired. His legs and arms were refusing to move as he sank into the darkness below. Riki kept his mouth closed, struggling against fate for as long as he could. He closed his eyes as well, blocking the sight of the empty darkness all around him.

His lungs cramped. Tiny little bubbles streamed from his nose and mouth. Riki struggled to hold his precious air in for as long as he could. 

This wasn't right.

How come he had to die like this? He was supposed to stay with everyone and have fun with them for ever and ever. He didn't want to leave them.

His mouth opened up and a stream of bubbles came flowing forth along with the last of his air. At the end of it all, he felt strangely calm.

Just as he slipped into unconsciousness, a pair of arms wrapped around his body.

When he came to, he could feel something warm and wet pressing against his lips. Someone was blowing air into his mouth. His body contorted and he retched, spewing forth a stream of water.

Riki gulped in air and blinked rapidly, taking in his surroundings. Kyousuke was there, looking down at him in relief.

"K...Kyousuke..."

"Riki. Thank goodness." Kyousuke smiled. "Are you okay now? Can you breathe?"

Riki nodded and pushed his body up. He put a hand over his chest, gasping. "I thought I was going to die."

Kyousuke stroked his damp hair. "It's okay. You're safe now. I was pretty worried, but fortunately you came back."

"How did I get out of the water?"

"I swam to you and got you out, then gave you CPR."

"Ah..." Riki's eyes filled with tears. "Thanks, Kyousuke."

"You needn't thank me." Kyousuke hugged him. "I'm so glad you're alright."


	191. Sink

"Goodnight, Kyousuke. Take care."

"You too. Goodnight."

The call ends and Kyousuke is left staring at the cellphone. He's just had a conversation with Riki and heard all about the fun things everyone was doing today. It's good to hear that everyone is enjoying themselves. Riki seems to be doing a good job as the leader of the Little Busters.

Kyousuke's gaze roams around the empty apartment and he feels that pang again. He would never admit it to Riki, but there are times when he feels like he's sinking in loneliness. It's really not all that easy being an adult.

At least he can still talk to Riki on the phone. Those conversations are such a relief after a long day of work and he's ever so thankful for them. Of course, there are still days when he wishes he could just be by Riki's side instead.


	192. Falling

One minute, all is calm and he's listening to the sounds of students talking and laughing overhead.

The next, it's bedlam. He's being flung all over the place, being struck by luggage and crashing into metal walls...

Then he's looking up at the sky as he falls.

His mouth opens to scream-

And he jerks awake.

His heart thumps against his chest. Where is he? He can see the clear sky, a tree looming over him... and Riki sitting next to him.

Kyousuke breathes heavily as he comes to his senses. Now he remembers, he had just fallen asleep during lunch break.

Riki looks at him in concern.

"Are you alright, Kyousuke?"

Seeing him and hearing his voice is such a relief after that bad dream.

Kyousuke sits up and smiles. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just a bad dream."

Riki nods in solemn understanding and slips his hand into Kyousuke's.


	193. Catch

Riki reached into the branches of the tree and received the stuck piece of paper, which he stuffed into the back of his pants. He glanced down and saw Kyousuke standing below.

"You alright, Riki?" Kyousuke held out his arms. "I can catch you if you want."

"Eh..." Riki gave him a doubtful look. "I don't know, are you sure it's alright?"

"It's fine. Trust me."

"Well, if you're sure..." Riki held his breath and jumped. He dropped into Kyousuke's arms.

Kyousuke staggered, but managed to regain his balance. He twirled around with Riki. "Whee! See, I did it. Wasn't that a great catch?"

"Yeah. That was impressive alright." Riki breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem." Kyousuke grinned.


	194. Open Arms

There he stands, amidst the sea of flowing cherry blossoms, at the school gate. When his eyes meet with Riki, he spreads his arms open.

Riki takes off running without a second thought and flings himself into Kyousuke's arms. He hugs him tight. Kyousuke embraces him back.

When Riki looks up at him with teary eyes, Kyousuke smiles.

"Congratulations on your graduation, Riki."


	195. Wings

The time has come to spread his wings and fly.

Riki would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous, maybe a bit scared, but he wouldn't admit it. He took a deep breath and stepped out the school gate.

He turned around and looked back at the school building where he had spent the past three years and shared so many happy memories with his friends. It was hard to believe he would be leaving after all this time.

"You alright?" Kyousuke stepped up to Riki and put his arm around Riki's shoulders. "You can cry if you want, I won't be mad."

Riki shook his head. "No, I won't cry." He took a deep breath. "Well, this is it, huh?"

"We had such great times there." Kyousuke smiled fondly as he looked at the school. "I'll never forget any of it."

"Me neither. Okay, let's go." Riki tore his gaze away and turned to face the road. This was it, the moment he took his first step into the adult world, and he was ready.


	196. Angry

Riki just doesn't understand any of this.

He's never been so angry at Kyousuke before, not like this. It's so confusing.

Kyousuke is supposed to be his best friend in the whole wide world, someone Riki was always able to depend on him in the past. Kyousuke is the one who took him by the hand and showed him a world of fun. Riki loved him so much.

Does he still love him?

At this point, Riki honestly isn't sure.

Riki has no idea what to think about any of this, and he hates it. This entire situation is so alien, it almost feels like some weird dream.

What he does know is that he'll protect Rin. Even if it means opposing Kyousuke.

Riki just wishes Kyousuke would return to being the person he loves with all his heart.


	197. Happiness

"Were you still able to be happy while I was away?" Kyousuke asks.

"Eh? Well, it's not like I was totally miserable or anything. Rin and everyone else were with me, after they all recovered from the accident. We still managed to have fun." Riki smiles ruefully. "Though probably not as much fun as if you had been there."

"Yeah, that was a pity, wasn't it? I was looking forward to an exciting summer holiday too." Kyousuke sighs. "So much for that."

"To be honest, I was still worrying about you and it wasn't really the same. I was trying my best though, I really was."

"I don't doubt you, Riki. You're much stronger now after all."

"Mmm. You've always brought me so much happiness, Kyousuke." Riki meets his gaze. "I'm always so happy when you're around. How could I not miss you?"

"That's alright." Kyousuke puts an arm around him. "Honestly, it would be strange if you didn't. My feelings would totally be hurt too."

"Eh, you know I'd never do that deliberately."

Kyousuke chuckles softly. "Yeah. I know."


	198. Delicate

When Kyousuke sees Riki taking charge and sees the confidence shining in his eyes, he just can't help but marvel at how far Riki has come.

Riki used to be a weak and delicate person who would always hold onto Kyousuke's hand and depend on him in times of trouble. In the past, Kyousuke had always been glad to help him out and shield him in troubled times.

There's no need to look out for him anymore.

That frail boy who always depended on him has grown up. The thought is almost enough to bring a tear to Kyousuke's eye.


	199. Boat

"Watch your step." Kyousuke held Riki's hand as he unsteadily climbed into the boat.

Riki carefully made his way over to one of the seats. His gaze roamed over the items they had brought onto the boat - fishing rods, equipment and some buckets. It looked like they had everything they needed for today's mission. 

Kyousuke sat down opposite Riki and took hold of the oars. "Alright then. We're going to catch a whole lot of fish." He moved the oars and pushed the boat away from the shore. It started gliding toward the middle of the lake, propelled by the constant movement of the oars.

Once they had reached an idea spot, the oars were prepared and they cast them in.

"Whoah, I've got one!" Riki exclaimed, his hands tightening around the oars. Something was straining on the end of the line. "I think this might be a big one." There was a sudden jerk and he let out a startled exclamation, his body tilting.

"Riki!" Kyousuke let go of his oar and grabbed Riki around the waist. "Be careful."

Riki's heart thumped in his chest as he felt Kyousuke holding onto him. He swallowed and focused on the line, slowly reeling it.

"That's it. You can do it, Riki."

The wriggling fish burst forth from the surface, scattering drops of water. It was indeed formidable in size. Riki hastily reeled it in and dropped it into a bucket.

"Whew." Riki wiped his brow. "Such a big fish, right off the bat. That's quite some luck. Thanks for the help, Kyousuke."

"No problem." Kyousuke patted his shoulder. "You're doing a great job so far, Riki. Well done."

Riki nodded, smiling proudly, then faced the water again with a determined look.


	200. Scars

Riki unbuttons Kyousuke's shirt and pulls it away to expose his chest. His attention is drawn to a jagged white line on Kyousuke's chest. He runs a thumb over the scar.

"Where did this scar come from?"

Riki can remember all sorts of mishaps during their younger days and while there were a few injuries here and there, he can't remember Kyousuke receiving such a wound to the chest. It might be possible it had happened before they even met and he just never noticed until now, he supposes.

"Ah, that... that was from the bus accident."

"Oh." As Riki thinks about it, he does remember that Kyousuke's shirt was soaked with blood at the time. "Did you cut yourself on some glass?"

Kyousuke is silent for a short while. "To be honest... I actually did that myself."

"Eh?" Riki looks at him in surprise. "Why did you do that?"

"I had to. It was something to do with how the dream world worked. Don't look at me like that, Riki. If I hadn't done that, blocking the gas leak and staying in the dream world would have been impossible."

"Oh." Riki looks at the scar again. "It was something you had to do."

"I didn't think I was going to make it in the first place." Kyousuke's mouth curves in a faint smile. "You sure proved me wrong though."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" Riki rests his head against Kyousuke's chest, feeling the warm skin against his. "I was so worried about you the whole time, but you came back to us. I hope nothing like that will ever happen again."

"So do I," Kyousuke whispers, resting his hand on Riki's head.


	201. Eyelashes

Kyousuke turns his head away slightly, half closing his eyes as he does so. Riki's gaze fixes on his long eyelashes and he finds himself once again marvelling at them. They really are a sight to behold.

"Hm?" Kyousuke notices his stare and meets Riki's gaze. "Is something the matter?"

"Eh?" Riki jumps and sharply looks away. "Oh, no, it's nothing." He hears Kyousuke make an amused noise and his face flushes.

How embarrassing it is to get caught staring like that, but Riki really couldn't help it.

Those eyelashes of his are seriously something. It's so hard not to stare when they catch his attention.

Honestly, Riki thinks, Kyousuke is just too damn beautiful. Not that he'd actually tell him that.


	202. Smile

Riki can think of so many things he misses about Kyousuke.

Those intense eyes of his that always shone with enthusiasm.

The sensation of his warm hand as it held onto Riki's.

The way he would look at Riki.

And that smile.

Whenever Kyousuke smiled, it felt as if Riki's entire world was being lit up just by that smile alone. He always felt uplifted, just seeing it.

Riki flips through the photos on his phone, pausing on every one with Kyousuke in it. He's smiling in every single one of them.

How he misses seeing that smile.


	203. Frown

"Hmm." Kyousuke has stopped in the street and is now examining a poster. "Whoah."

"What is it?" Riki stands next to him and reads the poster.

"They are actually opening an otaku maid café near here!"

"Otaku... maid... café?" One of Riki's eyebrows shoot up. He's not exactly sure what goes on in an otaku maid café, but he has a feeling he doesn't really want to know. "I guess that sounds like something you'd be interested in."

"Yeah, I'd like to go there." Kyousuke grins. "Hey, Riki, why don't you come with me?"

Riki's brow creases into a frown. "I don't know, it's not really my thing."

"Geez." Kyousuke's face falls. "Come on, you should live a little. Don't you want to be greeted by maids welcoming you home and calling you master?"

"Not really." In fact, Riki thinks otaku maid cafés just sound downright odd. "You know I'm not into that stuff. But, if you really want me to come along, I guess I don't mind."

"Alright!" Kyousuke's grin returns. "It will be awesome. Now I can't wait to go already."

Riki smiles in bemusement. The things he does for Kyousuke...


	204. Choking

"Are you really okay now?" Riki peers at Kyousuke's face.

"I'm fine. I'm breathing, aren't I?" Kyousuke picks up the glass of water and gulps it down. "I'm totally okay now."

"That was scary." Riki still looks anxious, despite Kyousuke's assurances. "You were choking. If there hadn't been a medic around..."

"Yeah, I know." Kyousuke exhales. To be honest, he had been pretty scared as well.

"I knew entering a hotdog eating contest was a bad idea." Riki's brow furrows.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time. We used to get up to all sorts of risky things when we were younger, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. It's a miracle I never had a heart attack." Riki smiles wryly. "No more speed eating contests, alright? Please?"

"Okay, okay." Kyousuke grins and pats Riki's head. "It's not like I need persuading anyway."


	205. Doctor

"No, you can't leave the bed." Riki gently pushes Kyousuke back down. "The doctor said you needed plenty of rest."

"Geez." Kyousuke sighs as his head hits the pillow. "You're so bossy, Riki."

"I just want you to get better as soon as possible." Riki sits on the bed. He looks at Kyousuke's flushed face. "You want to as well, right?"

"But lying in bed all the time is boring." Kyousuke sighs.

"Well, read some manga or something. You never get tired of that." Riki glances at the bookshelf. The shelves are packed from end to end with manga volumes. There are even more manga volumes piled up on top of the bookshelf. "Shall I get you some?"

"Yeah, sure. Why don't we read together?"

"Together?"

"Uh huh."

"Um, sure, why not. Any particular manga you want?"

"Nah, you choose."

"Alright, then." Riki looks through the rows of manga and ends up picking one at random. It's a story about childhood friends falling in love, according to the back. He clambers onto the bed next to Kyousuke.

"Ah, this is a good one." Kyousuke nods. "You have good taste."

"Eh, I just kinda picked at random. I don't know much about manga." And what he did know about manga, Riki only knew from Kyousuke anyway. He shifted closer to Kyousuke, resting his head against his shoulder.

"Well then, let's begin."


	206. Police

Riki turns at the sound of the siren and sees a police car racing past. He watches it hurtle into the distance.

"I guess something's happened, huh." Kyousuke is standing next to Riki, watching the car along with him. "It's unusual, isn't it? Not much happens in this town."

"Hmm. Yeah.We used to find all sorts of bad guys back in the day though, didn't we?" A wistful smile forms on Riki's face. They used to have so much fun back then, hunting down the people who were up to no good and taking them down. The Little Busters had been invincible. "We always managed to take them down."

"Yeah, we did, didn't we?" Kyousuke chuckles. "Thinking about it, it was pretty reckless, wasn't it? We sometimes got told off for it, but we just kept doing it anyway. It did get a bit dangerous sometimes. Like the one time that guy pulled a knife on us."

"Oh man." Riki groans. "I had forgotten about that. If it hadn't been for Kengo's quick reflexes, someone might have been hurt."

"Yeah." Kyousuke was grinning however. "It really was fun."

Riki exhales and shakes his head. "Sometimes, I think it's a miracle we're all still alive... oh... yeah, I suppose it is, isn't it?"

Kyousuke reaches out and caresses Riki's head. "Yeah, we might have had some crazy times in the past, but as long as it was fun, wasn't it worth it?"

"I suppose so." Riki looks at Kyousuke with a wry smile.


	207. Strength

"I did it." Riki holds onto Kyousuke tightly, burying his face in his chest.

"Yeah." Kyousuke looks down at Riki with a soft smile. "You did."

"I didn't cry. I kept smiling the whole time even though I missed you so much. Sometimes I felt lonely, but I did my best to keep smiling."

"Well done." Kyousuke places a hand upon Riki's head. Riki's become so strong compared to a year ago, he can't help but feel so proud of him. Riki has come so far.

"And now my high school days are over. They were so much fun, especially when we were together. We tried to keep having as much fun as we could, even when you weren't there, but..."

"But?"

Riki exhales. "It wasn't really the same without you. Yeah, we were having fun and enjoying ourselves, but I still missed you."

"There's nothing wrong with that. Honestly, it would be a bit concerning if you didn't. As long as you were doing your best, that's all that matters."

Riki raises his head to meet Kyousuke's gaze. "I just wish I could be with you all the time."

"Well, we can see each other more often now you've graduated, so there's that."

"Good. I'm glad." Riki buries his face in Kyousuke's chest again.

Even though Riki's stronger now, that wish of his to be with Kyousuke hasn't changed, but Kyousuke doesn't mind in the least. After all, he feels the same way about Riki.


	208. Spell

It's their first kiss together. At the moment their lips touch, they feel as if they are floating on air. They keep their lips pressed together, savouring the moment for what seems like forever.

Kyousuke is first to break the contact and takes in the sight of Riki's face. His eyes are unfocused and his mouth is hanging open. It looks like he's under a spell.

"I'm that good, huh?"

"Mm?" Riki mumbles. He's in such a daze that Kyousuke's words barely reach his ears.

"And it was my first time too." Kyousuke smiles, pressing his lips to Riki's again.

His first kiss. Kyousuke's first kiss was with him. The thought makes Riki's face grow even warmer. He can't help feeling elated by the knowledge of that particular fact. It makes it seem even more special somehow.


	209. Protection

"Did you enjoy it, Riki?" Kyousuke asks as they walk to the van.

"Of course. Things are always so much more fun when you're around, Kyousuke. I'm so glad you're back at last."

"Good. We'll be doing a lot more fun things from now on." Kyousuke flashes a smile at Riki.

Riki's heart skips a beat as he takes in the sight of that radiant smile. His chest tightens as he thinks about how he was able to protect that smile. Together with Rin, he was able to protect this happiness. He's so lucky to be here right now, with Kyousuke by his side.

"Riki?" Kyousuke is watching him with a puzzled look, having noticed how dazed he is all of a sudden as he just stares right back. "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Riki shakes his head. "Ah, yeah. I was just thinking, that's all."

Kyousuke makes a soft hmph sound, his lips lifting up at the corners. "Well then, time to get back to school."


	210. Antidote

"Why is there no antidote for a hangover?" Riki groans. He's lying in bed with a hand pressed to his forehead. "I feel like hell right now." He squints at Kyousuke, who's standing by his bed with a glass of water.

"Here you go. It won't make the pain go away, but it will help." Kyousuke holds the glass out.

Riki pushes himself up and takes the glass. The water is so soothing as it passes through his dry mouth and slips down his throat. He ends up draining the entire glass and sets it down, wiping his lips.

"Guess I went a bit too far last night," Riki mutters, sighing. "How annoying."

"Yeah." Kyousuke sits down on the bed and reaches out to stroke Riki's head. "You look like you're feeling pretty rough."

"You have no idea," Riki groans, falling back onto the pillow.

"Well, just rest for now." Kyousuke puts a hand over Riki's and squeezes it gently. "I'll be here if you need me."

"Mm." Riki closes his eyes. As always, he's ever so thankful for Kyousuke's presence.


	211. Guardian

When his parents died, he felt so lost.

He lay in that hospital bed, staring at the ceiling and praying it was all a horrible dream.

A man told him he was now his guardian. Riki didn't care who the man was and rarely spoke to him.

He started falling asleep.

The days were long and bleak.

The little boy, left alone by those who had protected him, sat in that empty house devoid of the sounds that had once filled it, hugging his legs, and he wondered why.

Why did they have to leave him?

As he lingered in that bleak and hopeless darkness, a hand was reached out to him and he took it.

His world was filled with light once more.


	212. Cigarette

The sky was already dark and Riki only had the illumination of the street lamps to light his way back home. In one hand, he clutched a bag filled with takeaway food.

A hand snagged onto the back of his collar and yanked him to the side. Riki was pulled into a side alley. His back slammed against the wall and he gasped. Riki looked up to see a man looming over him. His dark eyes glinted with menace as he puffed on the cigarette lolling from his mouth. He reached up to take the cigarette from his mouth.

"Hey, kid," he rasped. "Let's make this quick, shall we?"

Riki's heart raced as he stared into the man's eyes. He had never been in a situation like this before. Was he being mugged?

"You know what I want, right?" the man asked.

"My money?" Riki asked tentatively.

"Smart boy." The man tossed his cigarette to the floor and ground it beneath his heel. He then leaned in and blew out a stream of smoke into Riki's face.

Riki grimaced at the combined stench of cigarette smoke and alcohol as he pressed himself against the wall. There was a time when he would have been terrified. Sure, he did feel a little scared, but he wasn't going to let that defeat him. He couldn't rely on others anymore.

"So, kid, you gonna cough up?" The man's mouth lifted up in a crooked smile.

Riki sharply brought his leg up, slamming his knee into the man's gut.

"Oof!" The man stumbled back, gasping.

Riki took advantage of the moment, driving his shoulder into the man's body and forcing him against the opposite wall. He then turned and bolted, not slowing down until he was outside the apartment building.

Kyousuke was surprised to see Riki stumble in, gasping for breath with eyes as wide as saucers. "Riki, what's wrong?"

"Someone tried to mug me just now." Riki wearily made his way to the table and dropped the bag down. He wasn't sure if he could bring himself to eat after that nasty shock.

"What?!" Kyousuke paled. "Are you... are you alright?"

"Yeah. He didn't get my money or anything. I was able to get away safely." Riki turned around, facing Kyousuke with a weak smile. "It was kind of scary. There was a time when, in a situation like that, I would have been praying for you to come and save me. But I managed. I saved myself."

"You did well." Kyousuke enfolded him in a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Mmm." Riki brought his arms up and returned the hug. He was so glad to be in the comforting embrace of Kyousuke's arms after that experience.


	213. God

"Hey, Riki. Did you go out?"

"Yeah. It was the anniversary today so I took some flowers."

"Oh." Kyousuke didn't need Riki to explain any further. This was something he did every year after all. "So it was today."

Riki nodded. "I was thinking about how glad I was this was the only sad anniversary I would have to remember. There aren't any other graves for me to visit and take flowers to. It's because I defied fate and fought against God." He smiled. "I'll always keep fighting against it if I can."

Kyousuke didn't say anything. Instead, he hugged Riki.

"Death is just too sad," Riki murmured. "So I don't want to face it again. I'll do anything I can to fight against fate, for the people I love."

"Mmm." Kyousuke stroked Riki's hair. It would be nice if Riki didn't ever have to face that pain again. Nobody ever knew when fate would strike, but he was sure Riki would be able to deal with it now he'd come so far.


	214. Sidewalk

Kyousuke neatly stepped aside to avoid an oncoming pedestrian as he and Riki made their way along the sidewalk. There were a lot of people in the town today.

"It's a pity."

"Mm?" Riki glanced back.

"We can't even walk hand in hand on a busy day like this."

"Of course we can't, we would be inconveniencing people." Riki wondered why Kyousuke even thought of that all of a sudden. For that matter, to say something like that in public was a little embarrassing.

"Yeah." Kyousuke jammed his hands into his pocket. "Walking on the street in these crowds isn't any less of a nightmare though. If we're not careful, we might get separated."

"I think we'll be fine."

"I suppose so. Hmm, that reminds me, you got separated from the rest of us once when we were younger. We were only separated for five minutes but you were already crying when we found you."

"R-really?" Riki's face reddened. "That must have been a long time ago. Why bring it up now?"

"I just remembered it, that's all."

"Well, don't suddenly bring up such embarrassing things in public. Sheesh." Riki closed his eyes and sighed.

"Relax, nobody's listening anyway. Anyway, even if we get separated, I'll always come and find you."

"Seriously, it's not like I need you to now." Riki couldn't help smiling as he saw Kyousuke grinning at him. Kyousuke had always been someone he could depend on. Again, he thought about how lucky he was to have Kyousuke's presence in his life.


	215. Armor

Kyousuke tried to keep that wall up around his emotions, and yet Riki's words pierced straight through the armor he had had built around himself. He was telling him how much he loved him, and it hurt, it hurt so much to hear Riki's feelings spill out, knowing that they had no future together.

He wished they could have a future together, so much. He loved him too. But, what could he do? The tears flowed from his eyes as he turned to face Riki. It was impossible to hold them in any longer. He couldn't stop himself from telling Riki how much he loved him right back, even though he meant to hold it all in.

It was all so unfair.

They loved each other, so why? Why was fate being so cruel and tearing them apart?

As he watched the tears stream down Riki's cheeks, he so badly wanted to run up to him and take him in a crushing hug, to wipe the tears from his cheeks and tell him everything would be fine, but he couldn't.

He needed to send them out of there.

Kyousuke bid them to leave. He watched Riki and Rin run away, with a deep pang in his chest.

It just wasn't meant to be.


	216. Insanity

In a moment of what he was pretty sure was sheer insanity, Riki had agreed to some absurd idea of Kyousuke's, and now he really wasn't so sure about this. As he stared at the outfit that Kyousuke had laid out for him, he wondered why he had ever thought agreeing to visit an otaku café together was ever a good idea.

"Kyousuke." Riki drew in a long breath then slowly released it. "What the hell is this?"

"It's a maid outfit. I found a place where I could rent one pretty cheap. It was a good deal."

Riki reached up to knead his forehead. "Um. Okay. Yes, I can see it's a maid outfit, but I'm still a bit confused, particularly about the part where you want me to put this on. Please explain why."

"Well, because there's a special event going on," Kyousuke replied. "Couples dressed as maids and butlers get to eat free desserts, and those desserts are delicious."

"Why maids and butlers?"

"Well, because this anime about a battling maid and butler who fight together just started airing. The manga's really good. You should read it sometime."

Riki closed his eyes, in the frail hope that when he opened them again, the horrifying sight before him would have vanished, but of course it was not to be. He cast a glance at the butler outfit lying next to it.

There was no point in asking why he was the one who had to be the maid.

"Please, Riki?" Kyousuke was now looking at him with puppy dog eyes. It was just too difficult to resist those pleading eyes.

Riki sighed. Honestly, he thought, the things Kyousuke made him do sometimes. "Fine." It wasn't like they would run into anyone they knew anyway. At least, he hoped so.

"Yes!" Kyousuke grinned. "Man, I'm so lucky to have a kind hearted and generous boyfriend like you."

"You can flatter me all you want, but this is the only time I'm doing this." If it was to eat free desserts together, Riki supposed he could live with the shame.


	217. Test

"Hey."

Riki can barely lift his head to look up where Kyousuke is standing on the windowsill. "Hi," he mumbles, raising a hand. It quickly falls back to the desk.

"Hm, what's wrong with you?" Kyousuke jumps down into the classroom. "You don't look good."

"We had a test." Riki massages his head. "It was a pretty long one too."

A loud snore reaches their ears and they glance over at Masato, who's completely passed out and is slumped over on his desk.

"Well, sounds like you had it rough. I guess we should call baseball practice off for today."

"Please," Riki mumbles. He doesn't think he has the energy to pick up a bat, let alone swing it. Kyousuke gives him a sympathetic smile as he reaches out to brush Riki's bangs from his face.

"You sure do look tired. Want me to help you back?"

"I can do that much myself."

"It's okay. I don't mind." Kyousuke offers an arm to Riki and lifts him from the chair.

"Seriously, I'm fine." Riki holds onto Kyousuke anyway as he steps away from the desk.

"Want to ride piggyback?"

"No way, that's embarrassing. I'm not a child anymore." Riki rests his head against Kyousuke's shoulder as he holds onto his arm. "If we walk like this, it's fine, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Let's go then."


	218. Breakfast

"Good morning, Riki."

"Huh?" Riki blinked as he peered up at Kyousuke, who was holding a tray.

"I made us breakfast in bed. Valentine's Day treat."

"Oh. That was nice of you." Riki sat up and rubbed his sleepy eyes. Kyousuke got into bed and set down the tray. On the tray were two steaming mugs of coffee, and two plates heaped with heart shaped pancakes. "Whoah, pancakes. Heart-shaped too?"

"Yup." Kyousuke grinned. "They look good, don't they?"

"Yeah." A delicious smell wafted up Riki's nose and he licked his lips. "It looks really good." He cut himself a mouthful of pancakes and chewed. It was wonderfully light and fluffy and the syrup was ever so sweet. It was bliss.

"You're enjoying that, huh?" Kyousuke started on his own pancakes.

"Mmm, yeah." Riki washed down the pancake with a swig of coffee. "Thank you, Kyousuke."

"You're welcome." Kyousuke planted a kiss on Riki's cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day."


	219. Lunch

"Hey, Riki. What brings you here?" Kyousuke asks as he gets up from his desk. It's unusual for Riki to come to his classroom when lunch break has begun. They usually meet up in the cafeteria. He notices that Riki is holding something wrapped in cloth.

"Um." Riki casts his eyes downward. His cheeks have taken on a distinctly pink tint. "Is it okay if we don't have lunch in the cafeteria today?"

"Well, I don't mind." Kyousuke points at the bundle. "I guess it has something to do with that?"

"Um, yeah." Riki nodded. "Kyousuke, let's have a bento together."

Of course, Kyousuke couldn't possibly refuse an offer like that. The two relocated to the courtyard. There was nobody else around so it looked like they would be able to eat their meal in peace. Riki unwrapped the bento and placed the individual boxes down on the grass. There was a wide array of food, organised in neat sections.

"That looks good. Did you make this yourself?" Kyousuke thought it looked much too impressive to be store bought.

"Er, yeah."

"Wow. I didn't know you had this kind of talent."

"Uh. To be honest, I had some help." Riki scratched his cheek.

"Oh? Who from?"

"Nishizono-san, and Kud. They gave me tips and suggestions, and watched as I made the bento. Nishizono-san looked pretty excited at the thought of us eating a bento together." Riki's blush deepened. "Next time, I'll try doing it by myself."

"That's fine, there's nothing wrong with getting help. Ahh, this bento that contains Riki's feelings is sure to be delicious. I can't wait to try it." Kyousuke grabbed a pair of chopsticks. Riki watched on in anticipation as he picked up a croquette and brought it to his mouth. "Mmm. It's good."

After sampling a bit more food, Kyousuke nodded. "This bento is absolutely delicious. Good job, Riki."

"Thanks." Riki flushed, his chest swelling. It felt so good to be praised by Kyousuke. Next time, he was definitely going to try making the bento himself. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

After a few minutes of eating, Kyousuke stopped and looked thoughtfully at the boxes. "Oh yeah, why don't we try feeding each other?" He picked up a sushi roll with his chopsticks. "Here, Riki."

"Uh? Ah..." Riki opened his mouth wide and took the sushi. His face reddened as he chewed on the sushi. He swallowed and looked at the boxes in contemplation, then picked up an octopus wiener. "Okay. Your turn."

Kyousuke took the morsel into his mouth and slowly chewed. "Yum." He chuckled as he looked at Riki's face. "Your face is all red."

"Yeah." Riki looked away. "It's just... we've never done this before, so..."

"You know. We fed each other using our chopsticks just now."

"Yeah? And?"

"We totally just indirectly kissed."

"Guh." Riki made a choking noise and spluttered. His face had turned the colour of a tomato. "I didn't even think about that."

Kyousuke laughed again. Riki was so cute when he got all flustered. It was definitely fun to watch. "Well, it's nice to do couple things together like this, isn't it? I'll be looking forwards to your next bento."

"Yeah." Riki nodded. "I'll definitely make another one soon." He, too, would be looking forwards to that day they would share a bento again.


	220. Dinner

This was the first evening everyone was eating dinner together in the school cafeteria since Kyousuke had come back from the hospital. Perhaps it was partly since they had just returned from the trip to the seaside, but in spite of this being a regular everyday thing, Riki felt somewhat giddy with elation.

He could scarcely believe it, that after so long, he was sitting next to Kyousuke again, eating meals together with him and everyone else. The thought that they were finally all getting to do things together again made him so happy.

"Earth to Riki."

Kyousuke was waving a hand in front of his face. Riki snapped out of his thoughts and blinked. Had he just been caught staring? How embarrassing that was.

"Oh. Uh." Riki's mouth flapped open and shut, his cheeks growing warm.

"You looked pretty deep in thought there." Kyousuke was smiling, his eyes shining with amusement.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just really happy you're back." Riki tore his eyes away and focused on his meal. 

"Heh." Kyousuke's smile widened. "It sure is good to be back."

"Mmm." Riki nodded. Having Kyousuke back in their group felt like a wonderful dream, except this wasn't a dream. He knew this was reality, and it made him feel unbelievably happy.


	221. Restraint

It was a warm summer day and the boys had gone out to town together. Rin hadn't gone along, claiming to have more important things to do which Riki suspected meant playing with her cats. Even with her own childhood friends, she couldn't just admit it, though they all knew very well that it was a favourite pastime of hers. So, it had just been Kyousuke, Riki, Masato and Kengo. On the way back, Kyousuke had made the daring suggestion of skinny dipping in the river.

Riki thought that was nuts, but they all went ahead and did it anyway. Not wanting to be left out, he went and joined in, despite his exasperation at Kyousuke's utter lack of restraint.

As they were getting out of the river, Riki was struck by the sight of Kyousuke's dripping body, glistening in the evening sun. His physique was smooth and slender with barely any muscle to be seen. The way his hair clung to his head in sticky, wet clumps...

Wait, no, wasn't it really bad to be staring like this? Riki tore his eyes away, blushing. Fortunately, he hadn't been caught staring. Now that would have been embarrassing indeed.


	222. Explain

"Kyousuke?" Riki knocked on the door,

"Oh, hey, Riki." Kyousuke greeted Riki as he opened the door. He stepped aside, allowing Riki entrance to his room. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to see what you were up to." Riki's gaze fell upon a manga propped open atop Kyousuke's desk. "Reading manga, huh?"

For some reason, Kyousuke looked alarmed. "Uh... no, I wasn't doing anything of the sort, I mean..."

"But you have a manga open right here." Riki moved closer to the desk. Why would Kyousuke act so nervous when faced with the subject of manga anyway? It could be that it was a lewd manga, but that would be a surprising change considering he had only ever seen him read manga for children. As he looked at the cover, he couldn't help noticing the two people embracing in the cover art were both wearing male school uniforms.

"Ah, you don't need to look at that." Kyousuke hastily snatched up the manga and stuffed it away.

"Kyousuke." Riki stared at him. "Are you actually reading a BL manga?"

"Uh." Kyousuke's eyes slid sideways. "I... I can explain!" His face was turning pink. "Um. I... bought the wrong manga by accident."

Riki's eyebrow slid up. Did Kyousuke really expect him to believe that flimsy excuse? Besides, even if he had bought it by accident, that didn't explain why he was reading it. He continued to stare at Kyousuke.

"Look, there's nothing wrong with being open minded!" Kyousuke spluttered. "It's good to try new things every so often!" He was turning even redder by the second. "It... it's not like I'm in love with you or anything!"

Riki slowly blinked. "That's a giant leap of logic, Kyousuke."

"Uh. Ahah, yeah, it is, isn't it?" Kyousuke laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head.

Now Riki was wondering, did it mean anything that Kyousuke was reading BL manga? No, probably not, and yet his face was growing warm at the thought. He hastily shook his head. "Uh, well, whatever. I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks." Kyousuke smiled uncomfortably.

"Um. Well, I guess I'll go see what everyone else is doing and let you get back to your manga reading."

"Alright. See you then."

Kyousuke stepped up to the door after Riki had shut it behind him and softly hit his forehead against it, expelling a loud sigh.


	223. Complain

"I can't believe what they just did with this episode! They completely changed stuff from the manga!" Kyousuke had a despairing look on his face. "How could they leave out such important scenes and then go and do that? Why?" He buried his face in his hands.

Riki smiled in bemusement. Occasionally, Kyousuke would complain after watching an anime episode, and he'd just listen patiently though he never really understood what Kyousuke was going on about half the time. He never really was interested in manga and anime.

"It's not the end of the world, Kyousuke." Riki moved closer to him.

"But... they changed so much... I just don't know what they are doing anymore."

"Okay." Riki nodded.

"It's ridiculous." Kyousuke put his face in his hands. "I should have known it would be a total disaster when they only had twelve episodes to work with."

"There, there." Riki patted his back. Honestly, he just didn't get what Kyousuke was so upset about, but he'd at least try his best to console him. It wasn't like he could just ignore his boyfriend in these times of need, no matter how ridiculous he thought he was being.


	224. Pants

Riki slowly pulls his pants down. His heart is pounding from the sheer anticipation. There was a time when he never anticipated that he would be doing something like this. He even tried to block out all notions of it ever happening, thinking things like how it was a desecration of their friendship, how they were both boys and society would look down on them, and so many other reasons.

But who cared about that now?

He kicked his pants away and crawled onto the bed, breathing heavily as he looked down at Kyousuke's face. His face was hot, so hot.

This was his first time, wasn't it?

Except, maybe...

Riki shook his head. He wasn't going to think about that at a time like this.

"You're so nervous," Kyousuke comments.

Riki brushes his heart over Kyousuke's chest, feeling his heart thump too. He wonders if Kyousuke too is feeling the same way. This is a whole new territory for them. They are exploring realms of their relationship he had once deemed unbreachable.

There's no need to be so nervous, he tries to tell himself. He loves Kyousuke, and Kyousuke loves him. They have known each other for so long. It's going to be fine. Riki embraces him, soaking in the warmth of his body, and they melt into a deep kiss.


	225. Jewelry

"Jewelry thief strikes again, huh?" Kyousuke commented as he perused the page of a newspaper. "Seems he's really good at giving cops the slip."

"Suppose so," said Riki. "Of course, it could just be that the cops are bad at doing their jobs. Who knows."

"Remember when we used to go after the bad guys?" Kyousuke looked up from the newspaper. "We were always being hailed as heroes. It was awesome."

"Then why don't you go be a cop?"

"Nah. I'd rather be something cooler... like a superhero."

Riki raised an eyebrow. "Uhh... don't they do the exact same thing?"

"But superheroes get to wear capes and do all sorts of awesome things like jump across buildings."

"Um. Sure."

Kyousuke stared at Riki before returning his gaze to the newspaper. "Eh, I guess you'd be more the magical girl type anyway."

Riki narrowed his eyes. "I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that."


	226. Tattoo

"There's a tattoo parlor," Kyousuke commented, glancing up at a building as he and Riki walked down the street. "Hey, ever thought of getting a tattoo?"

"Are you serious?" Riki threw him a look of disbelief. "You know it's not really my kind of thing. Honestly, I can't imagine you getting one either. What would it be of?"

"I'm not sure," Kyousuke murmured. "How about Little Busters themed tattoos? Maybe we can get Masato, Kengo and Rin in on it too."

"I think only one of them would agree to the idea."

"Good point." Kyousuke fell silent with a thoughtful expression on his face. "You know, sometimes people have the names of their loved ones tattooed on."

"Ehhh..."

"Should we do that?" Kyousuke grinned. "I'll get a tattoo that says Riki, and you get one with my name."

Riki spluttered, his face turning bright red. "I... um... well... maybe... but... er..."

"Man, you're totally self-destructing now."

"Uhhh..." Riki stared down at his feet.

Kyousuke laughed. "It's alright, Riki, I was only kidding anyway. Let's keep going." He took Riki's hand and pulled him away.

Riki released a faint sigh of relief. Right now, getting a tattoo seemed a bit much. He wouldn't put it past Kyousuke though. But, if Kyousuke really wanted it, he supposed he wouldn't mind so much. It was probably better not to tell him that just yet though.


	227. Delicious

"It's not too hot, is it?" Riki asked as he cautiously drizzled the hot fudge sauce over Kyousuke's body.

"No, it's fine."

"Good." Riki wasn't keen on the whole sadomasochism angle after all. He continued drizzling it over Kyousuke's bare body, coating the whirls of whipped cream that dotted his skin in the gooey brown substance.

Then he set the bottle aside and ran his tongue over the trails of fudge, lapping up the blobs of cream as he went along. Kyousuke's sighs of pleasure reached his ears and a red tint suffused his cheeks. He kept licking, slurping up the sweet and sticky substance coating Kyousuke's body until there was little left save for a sticky residue his tongue wouldn't be enough to erase.

Riki crawled up until his face was above Kyousuke's. "How was it?"

"That was great."

"Glad to hear it." Riki smiled and sank down on top of Kyousuke, meshing their lips together.


	228. Witch

"Hey, Kyousuke, why don't we..." Riki trailed off as he saw Kyousuke's slack jawed expression. His attention was focused on the television. Oh yeah, Kyousuke had said he wanted to marathon an anime today, a short one. "Hey, Kyousuke."

"Riki..." Kyousuke turned his dull eyes upward, meeting Riki's gaze.

"What's wrong?" Riki tilted his head.

"They were fighting this witch and... and..." Kyousuke broke off and shook his head. "No, I can't spoil it for you."

"Um, thanks for the consideration, I guess. So, something shocking happened?"

Kyousuke could only nod. "I think... I might have to delay this marathon."

"Oh dear." It really was that bad, huh? Riki sat down next to Kyousuke and hugged him. "Okay, why don't we go out and do something together instead? Maybe that will make you feel better."

"Yeah. Sure." Kyousuke hugged Riki back. "I still can't believe it."

"Mmm." Riki patted Kyousuke's back.


	229. Perfection

It's been a month since Riki and Kyousuke started dating. Now, Riki's been coming to Kyousuke's classroom after school even more often, eager to see him as soon as possible once classes are over.

Kyousuke's female fans are still hanging around outside the classroom every so often, gushing over him as he reads manga at his desk. Riki stops and watches them, listening to their whispered conversations. He wonders if they will cease to come should his and Kyousuke's relationship ever becomes public. At the moment, the Little Busters are the only ones to be aware of it.

"He's just so perfect," says one of the girls, clasping her hands to her chest. "I sure wish he was my boyfriend."

Well, Riki at least agreed with the first statement. Kyousuke was totally perfect. Okay, maybe he did have a tiny flaw or two, but he was still pretty close to being perfect.

"Isn't he still single?" Another girl chips in. "I've never even seen him with another girl. It's strange, isn't it? How can such a hot guy like him be single?"

The girls giggle among themselves.

Riki almost says something, but stops himself in time. It's better to just leave them to their fantasies and speculations. He marches on past, feeling some pride with a single fact in mind: he's the one dating Kyousuke, his beloved, absolutely perfect childhood friend and boyfriend.


	230. Language

"Hm?" Riki had received a message from Kurugaya. As far as he knew, the girls were spending time together in the girls' dorm and he wasn't sure why Kurugaya would be texting him. He read the text she had sent.

"I just thought you'd like to know, Mio-kun is wondering who's the seme and the uke in the relationship. ;)"

Riki blinked, staring in bafflement at the screen. Seme? Uke? What bizarre language was that? Okay, it was probably still Japanese, but he wasn't particularly familiar with the terms. Maybe Kyousuke would know, seeing as he had to have picked up all sorts of lingo from manga by now.

Before he could ask however, another text quickly came, this time from Mio.

"Did Kurugaya-san send you a strange text just now? Please dismiss it. In fact, just delete it and forget the text ever existed because I swear whatever she said was not true. My apologies."

"Uhh..." Riki's eyebrow shot up. Just what were those girls talking about? He raised his gaze to see Kyousuke, Masato and Kengo staring at him with quizzical looks.

"What's wrong, Riki?" Kyousuke asked finally.

"Uhh. I think the girls are talking about you and me. About our relationship."

"Man, you just can't get a break, huh?" Masato tutted. "Honestly, those girls."

"Just turn the phone off and ignore them," Kengo suggested.

"Eh, but that would be kind of rude," Riki protested. His phone buzzed again.

"Come on, Riki, just turn the phone off already. This is supposed to be a guys' night," Kyousuke said with a hint of impatience in his voice.

This time, the message was from Rin. "Riki, they are teasing me for not knowing what seme and uke mean. (-.-) Komari-chan and Kud don't know either. Can you tell me?"

Riki was starting to get a very bad feeling about this. Just what in the world were those girls talking about? He hoped whatever it was, it wasn't too weird, and that Kurugaya and Mio weren't about to completely annihilate the innocence of certain girls. He sighed and put the phone away.

"So, uh... is something wrong?" Kyousuke asked.

"No, not at all." Riki forced a smile. They returned to playing cards, only for Riki's phone to buzz a few minutes later.

"Riki, just turn it off already." Masato had a scowl on his face.

"Sorry, I forgot." Riki read the message anyway. It was from Rin again.

"Riki, are you ignoring me? ('.') They still won't say, but... hmm, in English, the last three letters of KYOUSUKE spell out UKE, so maybe Kyousuke's the uke? Whatever that means."

Just what kind of bizarre logic was that, Riki wondered. 

"Seriously. Give me that." Kyousuke took the phone from Riki.

"Uwah!" Riki grasped for it, but it was too late. "Don't just take my phone... and don't read it either!" He saw Kyousuke's face turn pale. "Um, Kyousuke?"

"Hang on." Kyousuke tossed the phone back, got his own phone out and left the room.

Even though he was now outside the room, Masato, Kengo and Riki could still hear his raised voice as he loudly berated someone, demanding they stop trying to ruin his little sister's innocence and also stop bothering Riki, and finally told them that something was none of their business.

"Honestly, that Kurugaya." Kyousuke came back in and sat down, forcing a smile. "Let's continue, shall we?"

"Um, Kyousuke?" Riki tentatively decided to ask him the question that had been bothering him for the past few minutes.

"Yeah?"

"What do seme and uke mean?"

"Hm? Seme and uke?" Masato scratched his head. "Never heard of it."

"Yeah, me neither," Kengo said.

They all turned their quizzical stares toward Kyousuke, who slowly put his head in his hands. After a long moment of silence, he finally spoke. "It refers to whether you're on top or bottom... during certain... things."

It took a moment for Riki to figure it out. "Eeeeeeeeeeeh?!" His face bloomed a brilliant shade of red.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, can we please get back to having fun?" Kyousuke asked in a strained voice.


	231. Dessert

Kyousuke and Riki sat across from each other, helping themselves to a single chocolate parfait that was being shared between the two of them. It was large enough that there was enough for both of them.

"Mmm." Riki licked the chocolate from his lips. This dessert was absolutely decadent. He could probably have eaten the whole thing by himself in spite of its size. "This is really good."

"Yeah, it is." Kyousuke scooped out a cherry with his spoon and placed it in his mouth. "Sharing a dessert like this... we haven't done this before, have we?"

"Not that I can remember, no." Riki tilted his head. "I can't remember every time we went out and ate after all."

"Guess not." Kyousuke licked his spoon and eyed Riki. "I was just thinking... isn't it kind of like an indirect kiss?" His mouth twitched in a smile as he saw Riki flush. Riki really did get embarrassed way too easily. It was kind of cute.

Riki decided not to comment. Instead, he plunged his spoon back into the dessert and took another bite.


	232. Wish

A shooting star streaks across the night sky, leaving behind a white trail that fades away as quickly as it came.

When you see a shooting star, you're supposed to make a wish.

In a world like this, Kyousuke can make as many shooting stars as he wants. He could have hundreds or thousands of them firing past all night long. Heck, he could do even crazier things like make solar or lunar eclipses happen, or have the sun rise in the west instead of the east, but he isn't going to do anything like that.

Keep things as normal as possible. That's the most important thing. Though, when it comes to the girls, there are allowed to be exceptions. Riki needs to solve their regrets after all and besides, when the loop ends, he'll have forgotten about whatever absurd thing happened in this world.

Another shooting star appears. Kyousuke watches it go by, a lump forming in his throat. He used to be so excited about shooting stars and making wishes when he saw them, but now they have no meaning.

If there was one wish he could make...

Just as quickly as the thought comes, he dispels it. He's not allowed to think about such things.

There's no future for him and Riki, no matter how much he wishes for it. He's going to die. It's a fact he's accepted a long time ago.

All he can do now is wish for Riki and Rin to have a happy future together.


	233. Hope

As Kyousuke and Riki walk together to the school building, having returned from their trip to the beach, a thought occurs to Kyousuke, causing him to stop suddenly in his tracks. The motion prompts Riki to turn around and throw a quizzical look in his direction.

"What's up, Kyousuke?"

"Ah. Just now, I thought of saying something... hmm." Kyousuke looks thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I'm so glad you and Rin were able to save us. Really, I'm ever so grateful."

"Yeah. I'm glad too." Riki still couldn't help but shudder at the thought of how close he had come to a future without Kyousuke, as well as Masato and Kengo, not to mention the other lives that would have been lost for the efforts of him and Rin.

"I had no hope of us being saved. None at all. I hardly dared hope for a future in which we'd survive. As far I was concerned, you and Rin surviving and going on alone was the only option." Kyousuke exhales, his lips lifting at the corners. "But you completely outdid my expectations. You created a future in which we were all still together."

"Mmm. But, you know, I'm pretty sure it was thanks to you guys. You helped us become stronger. Without those efforts, I'm not sure if we could have pulled it off."

"Still, you did something amazing, Riki." Kyousuke walks up and pulls him into a hug. "Thank you so much."

Riki hugs him back. "You don't have to thank me," he murmurs. "It's enough that everyone is still here." After a long moment, they break apart and he takes hold of Kyousuke's hand. They continue walking together, looking forward to that future filled with hope.


	234. Need

Riki was engrossed in his homework when he heard his cell phone ring. It was a call from Kyousuke. "Hello?"

"Hey. How are things over there?" Kyousuke asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah, everything is great," Riki replied. He flung himself down onto the bed. "We decided to have another baseball match in a week, and we've been having fun as usual."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that."

Riki heard Kyousuke letting out a loud exhalation. "Are you alright? You sound kind of tired."

"I do, huh? Sorry about that. It's just that work can be exhausting at times."

"It is, huh?" Riki's expression turned sad. The adult world was full of responsibilities. He was sure Kyousuke had to be missing the days of endless fun that he always shared with his friends.

Riki was missing Kyousuke being with them too.

"So, what's going on in your life other than work?"

"Nothing much, honestly. It's just work, work, work. It's boring but at least I'm making money. That's the most important thing."

"Right." Riki wished there was something he could do, but of course that was impossible.

"I just really needed to hear your voice after that long day."

"Needed to, huh?" Riki felt somewhat bashful hearing that.

"Yeah, it makes me feel so much better."

"Eheh... I don't really know what to say to that."

"Are you blushing?"

Riki heard amusement in Kyousuke's voice. "No. I am not." Maybe he was, but he was hardly going to check and then admit it even if he was. "Let's talk about something else."

Kyousuke chuckled. "Yeah, sure."

Well, Riki, thought, at least he seemed to be cheering him up somewhat. He could understand Kyousuke needing to hear his voice. After all, he too felt the same way about Kyousuke.


	235. Mountains

Riki heard his phone buzzing and picked it up to see he had received a text message. It brought him considerable delight to see that the sender was Kyousuke, who had set off the day before on another job hunt.

There was an attachment on the text message. Riki checked it first and was baffled to see a picture of a mountain. When he checked the message, it all became clear. Riki shook his head, a bemused smile forming on his face.

Honestly, he had to wonder why Kyousuke was climbing mountains while looking for a job. It wasn't unlike him however. He did have a tendency to wander around and explore all sorts of places when he was supposed to be focusing on finding a job. Heck, he had done stuff like this even before trying to land one.

At this rate, Riki wondered if Kyousuke would ever actually get a job.

Still, it was nice to hear from Kyousuke every so often. Riki always looked forwards to these messages of his while Kyousuke was away, and he was thankful for them too.


	236. Velvet

"It's getting chilly, isn't it?" Kyousuke comments, as he notices Riki shiver.

"Ah, yeah, a little. I guess winter's on its way."

"I'll put the heating on." Kyousuke goes to do so, and comes back with a blanket. "In the meantime, how about a snuggle?"

"Mm." Of course, Riki wouldn't say no to a snuggle with Kyousuke.

The crushed velvet blanket wraps around the two so snugly, covering them in a tight cocoon in which they bask in the warmth of each other's bodies. Riki sighs and smiles as he buries his face in Kyousuke's chest.

Kyousuke holds Riki in his arms and brings one hand up to stroke his soft hair, as he rests his cheek against Riki's forehead.

"We haven't done this in a while. Just snuggling like this," Kyousuke says.

"Yeah, I suppose not."

"We should totally do this more often."

"Absolutely."


	237. Heaven

Though he was wrapped up well, Riki was still shivering as the cold air bit into him and stung his face. The crunching sound of feet marching through snow reverberated in his ears. He cast a glance at Kyousuke, taking in the sight of his profile. Every so often, a wisp of vapor would come from his mouth and dissipate in the air.

"Hey." Kyousuke stopped. "There's a pork bun stall over there. Want some?"

"Yeah, sure."

Kyousuke bought the pork buns then they sat on a nearby bench and opened up the paper bags. An appetising smell immediately wafted out in a cloud of steam, tantalising their sinuses. Riki found his mouth was already watering as he picked up a pork bun. He bit down into the soft outer shell. The delicious taste of pork and herbs filled his mouth.

Riki slowly chewed then swallowed, expelling a sigh. These pork buns were so tasty, like little bits of heaven. He wasted no time at all in finishing the one he had started. He glanced at Kyousuke, seeing the raptured expression on his face as he happily chowed away on a pork bun.

In the end, they finished the entire bag of pork buns between the two of them. Kyousuke let out a satisfied sigh and patted his stomach. "Yum."

"They were so good." Riki closed his eyes, focusing on the lingering taste that still dwelled in his mouth. The cold was barely bothering him for that matter as he felt considerably warmer inside.

"Yeah, they really were." Kyousuke sat back against the bench with a smile on his face.


	238. Hell

A steady breeze wafted in through the open doors. Though it did provide a little relief, it wasn't quite enough to dispel this horrendous heat. Riki lay across the floor on his back, clad in only trunks, and fanned his face.

It literally felt like hell.

Riki's hand dropped to the floor and he moaned. The heat had sapped most of his energy and he could barely muster up the strength to keep fanning himself anymore. His body glistened as shining rivers of sweat coursed down his skin. He rolled over to pick up a bottle of water and gulped down the contents.

"Hey, I'm back." Kyousuke came into the room, clutching two bags of groceries. "You alright?"

"I'm dying." Riki moaned and closed his eyes. "This heat is unbearable."

"I bought ice cream."

"Great."

Kyousuke put away the groceries and came back with a large plastic tub. He popped open the lid and handed Riki a spoon, then dug into the creamy substance with his own.

"Mmm." Kyousuke licked his lips.

Riki spooned up some of the ice cream and gulped it down. It was such a relief to feel the ice cream slide down his throat. After a short while, he noticed Kyousuke staring at him. "Mm? What is it?"

"Ah, I was just thinking..." Kyousuke's eyes shifted sideways. "Never mind."

"No, go on."

"I'd totally like to try licking ice cream off your body."

That was hardly what Riki had expected to hear. His face flushed and a stream of incoherent mumbles bubbled through his lips. Once he was over the initial surprise of hearing Kyousuke suggest such a thing, he started to actually consider it.

"I guess we could give it a try."

"Huh. Okay then."

Riki lay down, and Kyousuke started putting scoops of ice cream on his chest. Initially, he gasped from the shock of the ice cold substance on his skin, but it didn't take long to get used to it. It actually started to feel nice in contrast to this unbearable heat. Kyousuke used a spoon to spread the ice cream over Riki's chest and bent down to lick it from his skin. The wet touch of Kyousuke's warm tongue on his skin made Riki quiver. He closed his eyes and writhed, a smile spreading across his face.

"It kinda tickles." Riki laughed a little. "It's nice though, keep going."

Kyousuke lapped at his skin until most of the ice cream was gone and all that remained was a gummy residue. He sat up and wiped his sticky lips. "Mmm. That was good."

"Yeah." Riki smiled up at him.

Kyousuke went into the kitchen and came back with a wet towel that he used to sponge off Riki's body. When that was done, he lay down next to Riki and kissed him on the lips. They remained like that for a while, lying together and just basking in the warm summer heat.


	239. Rose

"Eh?" Riki opened the door to the apartment and was greeted by a cluster of rose petals scattered over the floor. They formed a trail leading him from the door to the bedroom.

"Kyousuke, just what are you playing at?" he muttered, as he opened the door.

Inside the bedroom, he saw even more rose petals.

There was Kyousuke, lying on the bed with nothing but his underwear on and a rose in his mouth.

Riki did not say a word as he walked up to the bed with an eyebrow raised.

Kyousuke took the rose from his mouth and held it out. "For you. Happy Valentine's Day."

Riki took the rose and gazed at it. He wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to say. "Um, thanks?" He turned his gaze to Kyousuke with a raised eyebrow.

"What's with that look? It's Valentine's Day, shouldn't I be allowed to go all out?"

"Well, there's nothing wrong with it, but..." Riki broke off as Kyousuke pulled him onto the bed.

"Let's celebrate." Kyousuke pressed his lips against Riki's.

After a moment of kissing, Riki broke away and looked into Kyousuke's eyes. "Sure, why not." He returned to kissing Kyousuke.


	240. Picture

Kyousuke and Riki were looking around the new shopping center that had recently opened up near the town.

"Hey, Riki, they have a photo booth."

Riki turned and glanced at the photo booth, barely visible through the crowds of people swarming past it. He looked up at Kyousuke's expectant expression. "Um, okay. Cool, I guess."

"How about we commemorate this day with some couple pictures?" Kyousuke grinned. As usual, Kyousuke did not wait for a response before he hauled Riki over to the back of the line of people queueing up to use the booth. After several minutes, they were finally able to get in. Kyousuke slipped some coins into the slot and sidled up to Riki, slipping his arms around him as he faced the camera.

They ended up taking a few different pictures, with Kyousuke striking a variety of poses while Riki was content to just stand there and smile. When that was done, Kyousuke printed off two copies of them.

"I think these came out pretty well." Kyousuke handed a copy to Riki.

Riki peered at the photos and nodded. "Yeah, me too." A small smile formed on his face as he gazed at them. He would be sure to take good care of them.


	241. Forsake

"Do you still think about that day?"

Kyousuke and Riki are sitting together beneath a tree when Kyousuke puts forth the question.

"Hm? What day do you mean?"

"The field trip, you know, when the accident happened." The day he almost died, Kyousuke thinks, him and nearly everyone else who was on that bus. If it hadn't been for Riki and Rin, he wouldn't even be here with Riki now.

"Ah, well, I've mostly been trying to forget about it and just focusing on having fun with everyone." Riki cups his chin in his hands. "I've stopped having bad dreams now at least."

"That's good." Kyousuke exhales. "I've had bad dreams too, but not so much." His gaze lingers on Riki's profile. "It was scary, wasn't it?"

"Of course it was, but we couldn't just forsake you all. Even if you wanted us to run away, there was no way we could just do that. We had a chance to save you and we took it." Riki looks at Kyousuke, a smile forming on his face. "I'm so glad we took that chance."

"Yeah, me too. Honestly, it was nerve wracking for me too, watching you two run around with that bus about to blow up any minute. Especially at that last moment."

Riki nods. "It was so close. Just a few seconds too late, and we might have... well, at least we didn't. But, yeah, I try not to think about it. It's all in the past now. Better not to let it get to me, right?"

"Right. You've grown up so much, Riki." Kyousuke nods, approval showing on his smiling face.


	242. Want

Is it selfish of him to want to go for it, Kyousuke wonders. Every time Riki chooses to stay with the boys instead of going over to the sleepover, the subject of who he likes comes up and he'll either be forthcoming with his feelings or cover them up. No matter what he says or does, Kyousuke will make some flippant comment or divert the subject, and they will return to playing games.

And yet, that desire still rises up inside of him.

It's not allowed.

Even if it went somewhere and Riki's memories were erased in the end, Kyousuke can't bring himself to do it. He knows that if he discovers that Riki really does have feelings for him, it will hurt so much more when the time comes to say goodbye. He genuinely fears knowing a future for the two of them might have been possible, were they not about to be torn apart by the tragedy.

And what if Riki remembers when the dream is over and he returns to reality? Kyousuke has no idea how much of this long dream Riki will remember when it's all over. He can't take unnecessary risks.

It's such a pity though.

If there was any chance of a future for them after all, then maybe, just maybe... but there isn't. All he can do is try not to think about this selfish desire of his and to just focus on his mission.


	243. Embrace

Riki picks up his phone at the sound of the new message tone. His heart leaps into his throat as he sees the message.

'I'm at the school gate.'

His heart leaps into his throat and he tears from his seat. Riki runs all the way to the gate, his face lighting up in a brilliant smile. He cries out Kyousuke's name as he throws himself at him and his arms wrap around him in a tight embrace.

Kyousuke chuckles and hugs him back.

"Gosh, Riki, I've only been gone a month."

"A month still feels like forever when you're not here."

"Does it, now?" Kyousuke pats Riki's head, smiling. "You really missed me, didn't you?"

"Uh huh."

"I missed you too." Kyousuke's gaze roams around the school yard. "People are watching, you know."

"Ah." Riki hastily disengages himself from the embrace and takes a step back, his face reddening. He had completely lost his senses in the sheer excitement.

"Honestly, and you're supposed to be more grown up now." Kyousuke is still smiling even as he gently chides Riki.

"Mmm." Riki lowers his head, still blushing.

Kyousuke can't help but find it so adorable when Riki gets embarrassed. Even as Riki grows up, he hopes that's a part of him that won't change.

"Well then, let's go see everyone, shall we?" Kyousuke reaches for Riki's hand and Riki eagerly takes his.


	244. Apart

"Well, I'd better go now." Kyousuke turns around to leave.

"Hold on." Riki grabs his hand. He lowers his face, shielding his eyes beneath his bangs. "Um. Just one more kiss?"

Kyousuke makes a soft hmph, his mouth twitching up at the corners, and he leans in to give Riki a lingering kiss. Their lips break apart and he catches a hint of sadness in Riki's eyes. "Don't make that face, Riki."

"I... I wasn't." Riki turns his face away.

"Yes, you were." Kyousuke kisses him on the cheek. "We'll see each other again soon."

"Yeah." Riki smiles up at him. "See you, Kyousuke."

Kyousuke lifts his hand in a wave and walks away. Riki watches him leave, feeling a bit of a pang. It's always sad to be apart from Kyousuke and he doesn't think that will ever change, but he'll always do his best to keep himself happy during those times. He can't make Kyousuke worry.


	245. Wild Card

There's a knock on the door.

That's strange, Kyousuke thinks. It's the evening after the pancake party. The Little Busters had a lot of fun and celebrated the victory at the baseball game. Afterwards, he returned to his room and quietly awaited the approaching end of this failed loop. Riki didn't get close enough to any of the remaining girls but that's fine, he will just hit reset and start over. After so many times going through this day, this is the first time Kyousuke has had a visitor to his room in the evening.

Is it Riki? Maybe even Rin. Kyousuke can't imagine Masato or Kengo deviating from their usual routine without a very good reason. He answers the door to see Riki..

"Riki?" The name slips from Kyousuke's lips before he has a chance to mask his surprise. Fortunately, Riki doesn't seem to notice. He's just standing there, staring down at his feet. "Is something wrong?"

"Um, can I come in?"

Kyousuke has a bad feeling about this. A voice in the back of his head is telling him he should say no. This isn't right. Why is Riki here? He shouldn't be.

Against his better judgement, he nods. "Yeah, alright."

Riki comes in. "Can I sit down?"

"Yeah, sure."

So, Riki takes a seat and Kyousuke stares at him, waiting for whatever he has to say. Meanwhile, he tries to think about what could have triggered this. Come to think of it, he had noticed some little things out of place. Riki had been coming to him at times when he hadn't before. He had even caught Riki staring at him a bit more often than usual, but thought nothing of it. Why would he ever think it was strange?

He's struck by a horrified realization.

Riki's feelings are the wild card in this whole scheme after all. Kyousuke can't always predict what he's going to think or do on a particular day. He may end up falling for one of the girls, he may not. Never in his wildest dreams had Kyousuke imagined he might be the one Riki fell for.

Riki raises his head, facing Kyousuke with a burning intensity in his eyes.

No, no, no.

Kyousuke doesn't want to hear him say it. He should say something before it's too late. Why had he even let him in?

"Kyousuke..." Riki takes a deep breath. "I love you."

Kyousuke curses mentally. This isn't part of the plan. Riki isn't supposed to fall in love with him. This is like a bad joke. Why is fate being so cruel to him?

"I wasn't sure at first," Riki says, clenching his fists. "I've always looked up to you, I've always loved you as my best friend, but lately... it's felt different. I've been feeling something in my chest when I look at you. My heart beats like crazy. It's definitely different from before." He momentarily gnaws on his lower lip. "I know we're both boys, but... I can't help it. I can't hold it in any longer. I just... needed you to know."

Kyousuke can't think of anything to say. He feels dazed from this revelation.

Riki has fallen in love with him.

"Kyousuke?" Riki's expression turns anxious. "Is it okay for me to feel about you in this way? How do you feel about me?"

"Riki." Kyousuke presses a hand against his head. A series of painful thumps strike his chest in rapid succession. He doesn't want to think about this. It's dangerous. He can't go there, he just can't. What should he do? For the first time, he's at a loss. The obvious answer would be to reject Riki, but to hurt his best friend like that isn't something he can do so easily.

Riki is silent, waiting for him to say something more. He looks so intense as he stares at Kyousuke's face.

"We can't do this."

"What?" The irises of Riki's eyes shrink down and his jaw drops.

"The two of us can't be together."

"What? But, why not?" Riki jumps from his chair. "Is it because we're both boys, then?"

"No, that's not it."

"So, you don't feel about me in that way after all?" Riki's eyes shimmer and he lowers his head. He makes a choked sound.

Kyousuke seriously wants to punch himself as he watches the tears glide down Riki's cheeks. Riki is starting to sob noisily and his shoulders are shaking. He can't bear watching Riki cry like this. He steps forward and puts his arms around Riki's trembling body, just as he has done so many times before.

"I'm so sorry, Riki. Please, don't fall in love with me again."

Riki's sobs trail off and his body goes limp. Kyousuke drops to his knees, cradling Riki's body, and looks at his sleeping face. He feels a pang as he looks at the wet streaks created by those tears and wipes them away with his thumb.

He loves Riki. He really does.

But this is a route he cannot go down.

"I'm sorry." Kyousuke kisses Riki's forehead.

Then he resets the world, feeling ever so thankful that Riki won't have to remember this.


	246. Walls

It's a familiar feeling, the disorientation as he opens his eyes. His gaze roams over the walls surrounding him, identifying the place he found himself in, and he pieces together the last parts of his memory to remind himself how he ended up here. As usual, the culprit is that sleeping disorder of his. It's rarely anything else.

The soft sound of steady breathing reaches him. Riki directs his stare to the source of the sound, seeing Kyousuke's peaceful face as he slumbers against the bed, his head resting against the coverlet. A manga rests atop the fingers of his limp hand on the floor. Riki sits up and glances at the covered windows. It looks like it's already late in the evening.

"Kyousuke," Riki speaks softly. He can't very well let Kyousuke keep sleeping like that. As he leans over, he notices a thin line of drool running from the side of Kyousuke's half open mouth. How unsightly, he thinks. Should he wipe it away? The thought of simply brushing the drool away occurs to him and his heart starts thumping. His face grows warm as he thinks about brushing his thumb over the corner of those soft lips, feeling his warm skin- no, what in the world is the matter with him? Riki shakes his head, trying to dispel the thoughts. Maybe he'll just wake him. Yeah, that's better.

Kyousuke's eyes flutter open as Riki gives his shoulder a gentle shake. He stares at Riki for a moment in confusion. "Huh? Oh, hey, Riki... I fell asleep, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Ah. My bad." Kyousuke reaches up to rub the back of his shoulders. "So, you feeling okay?"

"Yeah."

"Good." Kyousuke gets to his feet. "Shall we go eat?"

"Hold on, Kyousuke. You've still got drool on your mouth."

"Huh?" Kyousuke looks startled. He hastily brings his hand to his mouth and wipes the drool away. "Whoops. How unsightly. Not only did I fall asleep, I even got caught drooling."

Riki smiles, making a faint noise of amusement in his throat, and rises from the bed. Together with Kyousuke, he leaves the room.


	247. Relief

"Hmm." Kyousuke had stopped halfway through the short walk across a bridge. Now he was looking down at the river below.

"What is it?" Riki turned around.

"Remember when we used to jump off bridges? It was a lot of fun."

"Wait, you're not suggesting... no, come on, it's dangerous. We're not kids anymore. Let's just get back to school already."

In spite of Riki's protests, Kyousuke still vaulted over the side of the bridge and dropped into the water below.

"Kyousuke!" Riki ran to the side and peered down at the rippling surface. A few seconds passed and a flutter of anxiety began to stir up in his chest. Why wasn't he coming up yet? He was about to call out again when Kyousuke's head burst through the water's surface, sending water droplets flying. Kyousuke's laugh reached his ears and he let out a sigh of relief.

Honestly, Kyousuke could be worrisome at times.

"Geez, Kyousuke, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Aren't you going to come down?"

"No!"

"Aw, but it's fun. Anyway, I'll look foolish if I'm the only one coming back sopping wet."

"Then you should have thought about that before jumping in! And since when are you bothered by looking foolish?" Riki continued staring down at Kyousuke, who looked back with an expectant expression. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just let himself loose. "Okay, but just this once."

Riki teetered on the edge of the bridge, taking in a deep breath. Holding his breath in his puffed cheeks, he vaulted into the water. For a few seconds, he was disoriented by the water all around him before he shot up and broke through the surface.

"Ah!" Riki gasped for breath. A short laugh bubbled through his mouth. It had been a while since he felt this much adrenaline. He met Kyousuke's gaze and they exchanged smiles. "You are nuts, you know that?"

"Yeah, of course." Kyousuke's grin widened.


	248. Doors

It was funny to think it hadn't been so long ago that neither of them imagined their relationship might take this turn. One confession had led to another and before they had known it, they were swept up in a whirlwind of emotions, taking that brave new step in the relationship between the two.

Despite their initial happiness at getting together, there's some trepidation lurking within their newfound romance. Kyousuke and Riki are careful at first - locked doors, taking advantage of absent roommates, stealing kisses when nobody is around, sneakily holding hands as they walk together.

Behind the locked doors, they make love to each other. They kiss, cuddle, and whisper sweet nothings into each other's ears. It's the best thing so far to have happened to either of them, and yet they do feel a little shame for having kept it quiet this long. The time will come, but for now, they are content to just enjoy things as they are.


	249. Loyalty

It was so strange. Kyousuke never imagined the day would come Riki would oppose him - he had always looked up to him, following him, being so loyal and devoted to him. Then again, Kyousuke never imagined he'd find himself facing death so soon. He has to do this. Even if it means causing Riki pain.

And now Riki's run away, with Rin.

Those days of nothing but fun have ended. Even though this was all his doing, bringing an end to the fun, he misses it. He misses Riki. Rin, too...

"I'm sorry, Riki," Kyousuke mutters. Of course, in this empty room, nobody can hear him. He wonders how long it will be before he can see Riki's smile again.


	250. Monster

It had always been there, lurking deep in the back of his mind, the monster that was known as fear. Riki barely noticed it as he spent his time holding Kyousuke's hand, playing with his friends, and just having fun. He was so happy, together with Kyousuke and everyone, but it was still there inside of him. It never occurred to him that those carefree, happy days might one day be snatched away.

Riki had never wanted to go through the grief of losing someone close to him ever again, and yet there he found himself in that terrifying scenario once more. He's staring death right in the face as he looks upon the wreckage of the bus.

That monster is threatening to rise inside of him and engulf him, but he pushes it away and forces his way forward. He will absolutely not give in, no matter what.

Ten years ago, Riki fell into despair after his parents died, but Kyousuke saved him.

And now Riki's going to be the one to save them all. For Kyousuke's sake, no, for everyone's sake, he'll defeat that monster. He isn't going to accept that unimaginable future in which Kyousuke isn't there.

In the end, he succeeds.

Riki lies next to Kyousuke, gasping below the thick plumes of smoke that hover in the air. Tears spring forth, bidden by his overwhelming joy and relief.

"I did it, Kyousuke," he whispers. "I really did it."

If he can help it, he'll never let that happy future with Kyousuke be taken away from him, no matter what.


	251. Intuition

"Riki, is something bothering you?" Kyousuke and Riki are alone in the baseball clubroom. Everyone else has already left after baseball practice is over.

"Huh?" Riki turns around, looking startled. Kyousuke has always had good intuition. Of course he would have noticed that something was up, as if all those times Riki had been staring into the distance and sighing wasn't enough of a clue. He'd been way too obvious.

How careless. But Riki couldn't help it. Lately, he couldn't stop thinking about Kyousuke. He was constantly wondering about what happen if he admitted it, what it would be like to date him, and deliberating on whether he should do it or not. It was almost enough to drive him crazy. He wanted to do it, but it was so hard. That feeling of uncertainty kept holding him back.

"Ah, um." Riki looks away, biting down on his lower lip. His fists clench. Now would be an ideal time. The two of them are both alone. He could say it, but, as soon as he thinks it, he feels nervous yet again. "Well..."

"No, let me guess." Kyousuke rubs his chin. A smile forms on his face. "You're lovesick, aren't you?"

"Huh?" Riki jerks his head to meet Kyousuke's gaze, his eyes widening. Kyousuke is right on the bat, as expected. His heart thumps.

"Heh, I knew it." Kyousuke's smile widens into a grin. "It was written all over your face. So, who is it?"

"Huh?" Riki blinks at him.

"You know, the person you've got a crush on."

Riki sighs, his spirits sinking. Well, of course Kyousuke couldn't figure it out that easily. His intuition might have been good, but he still wasn't a mind reader. Maybe he doesn't even consider Riki having feelings for him a possibility. That thought utterly drains him of confidence.

Maybe now's not the time.

"Sorry, but I can't say anything yet."

"You can't?" Kyousuke seems confused. It's understandable. Riki usually talks to him about anything and everything after all.

"No. I can't."

"Not even who it is?"

Riki shakes his head. "I'm going back now." With a heavy feeling in his chest, he walks out of the clubroom.


	252. Indulgence

"Ahh, this is so good." Kyousuke was holding a pot of ice cream and making blissful expressions as he savoured the creamy treat. "I could just eat the whole thing at once." He licked his lips. "Nothing like indulging."

"Still, that's not very healthy." Riki glanced at the tub, reading the words. "Cookies and Cream with Fudge, Caramel and Chocolate Brownie?"

"Yup. It's delicious." Kyousuke spooned up a small scoop and waved it at Riki. "Here, try some."

"Er, I can get my own spoon, thanks."

"Oh, come on, we've kissed loads of time and you won't share a spoon?"

"That's really not the same thing." Riki went to the kitchen and returned with a spoon. He sat next to Kyousuke and helped himself. "Mmm, wow, that really is good."

"It is, isn't it?" Kyousuke closed his eyes and sighed. "Yum."


	253. Pretenses

Kyousuke watches Riki talking, looking at that innocent smile on his face, and he feels a pang.

One day, that precious smile is going to disappear. It's an unbearable thought, but there's nothing he can do to prevent the oncoming tragedy. He can only make Riki strong enough to cope with that despair.

He still remembers that little boy curled up with his head in his arms. The boy whose life had lost all colour after the death of his parents. If Riki doesn't become stronger, he may end up repeating it all over again.

It's vital that he makes it possible for Riki and Rin to be able to smile again in the face of the oncoming tragedy.

"Kyousuke?"

Kyousuke jolts as he hears Riki saying his name.

Riki's brow is furrowed as he regards Kyousuke with puzzlement. "Are you okay? You're staring."

Whoops. He'd better deflect it quickly.

"Ah, actually, I was thinking about something."

"Oh?" Riki's eyebrow raises. "What were you thinking then?"

"I was just wondering how it's possible for a boy to be so cute."

"Eeeeeh?!" Riki splutters, his face turning red. "Don't think about such weird things, Kyousuke!"

"Yeah, that's just creepy." Rin doesn't look terribly impressed either.

Kyousuke chuckles and returns to eating with a smile on his face. How fortunate that Riki believed him. He really needs to be more careful.

Keeping up pretenses sure is difficult, but he'll do his best and act normal as always.


	254. Waiting

Kyousuke is late.

Riki paces back and forth on the street just outside the school gate. Yet again, he checks his watch and sighs. It's already half an hour past the time Kyousuke said he would arrive. Did he end up getting sidetracked? With Kyousuke, who really knew.

People are giving him funny looks but Riki doesn't care. He leans against the wall and sighs. If only Kyousuke would hurry up and arrive already. He can't wait.

Maybe it would be better to just go back to the dorm, he thinks. What would Kyousuke think if he knew Riki was hanging out here for so long just waiting for him? That would be a bit embarrassing. It might almost look like he was pining for Kyousuke and he didn't want to give off that impression.

But still...

"Ah, geez." Riki exhaled and shook his head. What was wrong with him, honestly.

"Riki!"

At the sound of the voice, Riki turned to see Kyousuke coming down the street, waving a hand over his head. He smiled and ran down to meet him.

"Kyousuke! You're late!"

"Am I?" Kyousuke raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you said you'd be here at twelve and it's twelve thirty..."

"Riki." Kyousuke is giving him a strange look now. "You haven't been waiting by the road the whole time or something, have you?"

"Eh? Ah. Um." Riki shifted his feet and turned his head away. "No, of course not, whatever gave you that idea?"

"Geez, there must be better ways to spend your time than waiting for me, surely?"

"Mmm. Well. I guess." He has a pretty good point, Riki realizes. Now he feels even more pathetic.

"Well, sorry for being late, I suppose... even if it was only half an hour." Kyousuke lays a hand on Riki's head and ruffles his hair. "Let's go see everyone then."


	255. Rhyme

It was morning on Valentine's Day. Riki had already been sure to give Kyousuke his gift, a bag of chocolates he had bought from a store. As much as he would like to try making his own chocolates someday, he didn't think he was skilled enough yet.

Kyousuke, on the other hand, had said Riki would get his present later.

The first class of the day was about to begin. Riki reached into his desk.

"Eh?!"

"Hm, what's wrong?" Masato looked at Riki.

"Oh, er... there's something in my desk." Riki pulled out a heart shaped box of chocolates. "Uwah?!"

"Whoah. Have you got a secret admirer?" Masato's jaw dropped.

"Hmm." Riki reached back into the desk, keeping the box of chocolates on his lap so that the class wouldn't notice, and discovered an envelope which he took out. Inside the envelope was a Valentine's Day card.

'Riki, roses are red, violets are blue, did I surprise you? Lots of love, Kyousuke.'

"Geez." Riki let out an exasperated sigh, his mouth twitching up at the corners. Couldn't Kyousuke just have given him the box normally? He slowly shook his head and stuffed the box back into the desk.

"So, is it a secret admirer?"

"No. It's just Kyousuke being Kyousuke."

"Oh. I see." Masato nodded. Of course, he understood completely.

Kyousuke really could be full of surprises sometimes. Then again, Riki supposed, that wasn't always so bad.


	256. Reason

"Rin asked me about something interesting today."

"Oh, did she?" Riki regards Kyousuke with a curious look. "What was it about?"

"Girls love."

"Eh? What... why did she ask about that?"

"A certain someone brought up the subject but she was pretty confused by it all so she wanted some advice. Even though she's a bit more grown up now, Rin's still so innocent about the whole subject of love." Kyousuke lets out a little sigh with a smile on his face.

"A certain someone, huh?" Riki wonders who the person in question is. Perhaps it's Komari. She's the closest to Rin out of all the girls after all.

"So I told her there was no reason girls couldn't date each other. Love is love, regardless of gender. Gender shouldn't even matter when it comes to that."

"I see. So, what did she say?"

"She said she was going to go for it. I'm sure we'll be hearing an update soon."

"I see." Riki smiles. "Good for her."

"So, yeah. Girls can date girls. And... boys can date boys."

"Uh huh." What was with that pause just now, Riki wonders. Kyousuke has a complicated look on his face for some reason. Maybe he's just reading too much into it, he supposes. So, boys dating boys? He's never really imagined himself dating a boy, but if he did, it would probably be Kyousuke.

The thought comes out of nowhere and catches Riki completely off guard, startling him. Why did he go and have a thought like that all of a sudden? His face turns warm.

"Hm?" Kyousuke stares at Riki. "You're blushing."

"What? Am I?" Riki turns his head away. Ahh, how embarrassing. What was he doing having such thoughts like that? Well, it was only natural he thought of Kyousuke, right? It didn't mean anything. Of course not.

"Riki."

Riki looks back to Kyousuke, who has a serious expression on his face.

"Hm? What is it?"

"What would you think..." Kyousuke pauses, deliberating over his words. "About us, well, dating?"

"Huh?" Riki's jaw drops. "Y-you mean... dating each other?"

"Yeah."

Riki scrutinises Kyousuke's face with his gaze, trying to discern his intentions. He's completely serious by the looks of it. Anyway, joking about something like this would probably be going a bit overboard even for Kyousuke. His heart starts thumping.

Dating Kyousuke...

It really doesn't seem like a bad idea. In fact, as he thinks about it, it's actually kind of appealing.

"Well, um." Riki's face grows even hotter. "I don't think it would be so bad. I do like you a lot, Kyousuke... if you want to go for it, then... yeah. I think I'd like that."

Kyousuke's face lights up in relief. "Then, starting from now, we're boyfriends."

"Yeah." Riki smiles back.


	257. Searching

When Riki emerges from the darkness, his hand reaches out into the air, grasping and searching for someone. Then he feels it, another hand taking his and holding it in a warm, reassuring grip.

It's such a comfort to open his eyes and see Kyousuke looking down at him. He asks if Riki is fine.

Is it selfish to wish Kyousuke could always be there? Even though Riki knows that's impossible.

The time will come when he can search all he wants, and Kyousuke won't be there. He won't find his hand in the darkness. It's sad to think about, and he tries not to. He doesn't want to think about the future where Kyousuke isn't with them every day.

"Kyousuke." Riki grasps Kyousuke's hand just a little tighter.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here."

Kyousuke nods, watching him with a gentle smile.


	258. Pieces

Life is unpredictable. Nobody can know for sure what it will throw at them next. There are times when a person's life will just fall apart without warning and somebody else needs to be there to pick up the pieces and be strong for them.

For Riki, that person was Kyousuke, the strong and fearless leader of the Little Busters, who always smiled and thought about nothing but fun things. It was thanks to him that Riki was able to move on past his despair. He has no idea where he would even be now if it wasn't for Kyousuke.

Kyousuke has been such a big part of his life.

And Riki wants it to remain that way.

It took a while to realize it. Maybe he had known all along, but he never had the courage to actually admit it.

Which is why he's here, talking with Kyousuke in the baseball club room, just the two of them.

"I love you," Riki declares, clenching his fists as he looks at Kyousuke, determination written all over his face. "I've always loved you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can't even imagine life without you. I just want to be with you."

There's a long silence, drowned out only by the sound of Riki's heart thumping.

"So you really feel that way about me, Riki." Kyousuke looks away, a small smile forming on his face. "Honestly, I wasn't sure. I hardly dared hope so."

Riki swallows.

"That makes me really happy. I really love you, Riki."

"You do?"

"Yeah. You mean the world to me, Riki. If we could spend our future with each other, then that would be great."

"Kyousuke." Riki's eyes well up. He's so glad he made his move. Now he feels foolish for holding off for so long. He moves forward and throws his arms around Kyousuke in a tight hug.

Kyousuke hugs him back, kissing the top of his head.


	259. Believe

Riki watches on as Kyousuke walks through the school gate with a wistful expression. Kyousuke stops and turns around for a moment with a reassuring smile on his face.

"I'll be back. See you again."

Riki nods and smiles, raising his hand in a wave. Kyousuke walks off, waving a hand as he leaves. It's sad to see him go, but it's heartening to hear Kyousuke's parting words. Riki believes in what Kyousuke says with all his heart.

No matter where Kyousuke goes or what he gets up to, Riki is sure that he will definitely return.


	260. Bitter

"Good evening." Kyousuke's voice comes over the cell phone. "How are things?"

"Not bad." Riki falls back onto the bed. "I just finished doing my homework. It's been a pretty quiet evening."

"Yeah? Kengo and Rin still come by in the evenings, right?"

"Sure. Well, Rin has been with the girls a bit more often lately. Still, Masato and I can usually count on Kengo to liven things up for us and the other girls do come by sometimes. It's never dull around here."

"Good to hear."

"So, what about you, Kyousuke? You've been busy with work, haven't you?"

"Pretty much, yeah. My colleagues did take me out tonight."

"They did, huh?"

"Yeah. They were having drinks, but of course I couldn't have any. Still, I had fun talking with them."

"You did, huh?"

There's a long pause.

"Not afraid I'm making new friends, are you?" Kyousuke's voice sounds somewhat amused. "I'd hate to think you were growing bitter with jealousy."

"Of course I'm not!" Riki exclaims. "You really think I'd..."

"Nah. I was just kidding." Kyousuke laughs. "There's no way I'd go and forget about you guys, you know."

"I know you wouldn't." Riki smiles. "Well, it's good that you're having fun too and making friends. That's important."

They talk for a while longer before hanging up. Riki clutches the phone to his chest with a smile on his face. It sure is nice to be able to talk to Kyousuke. He thinks about the ridiculous joke Kyousuke made. Of course Kyousuke making friends isn't something to be bitter about. Riki would never get jealous.

Kyousuke will always be there for them. He knows that in his heart.


	261. Sweet

"Hey, Riki. I got us a treat." Kyousuke holds up a cardboard box.

"Huh?" Riki looks puzzled. "When did you get it?"

"Just now."

"You're not supposed to leave the school grounds during lunch break." Riki gives Kyousuke a reproachful look.

"It's fine as long as I don't get caught. So, you want some or not?"

"Oh, sure."

Riki and Kyousuke sit together on a bench and Kyousuke opens the box to reveal two strawberry shortcakes.

"Oh, wow." Riki's jaw drops. The desserts look absolutely delicious. "You went to the bakery?"

"Yeah. Komari said their desserts are really good, so I thought I'd buy some for us. Here you go." Kyousuke holds out a shortcake, balanced on a napkin.

Riki takes the shortcake and bites down into it. The cake is soft and moist, melting in his mouth as it mingles together with the luxurious whipped cream. He swallows and licks smears of cream from his lips. "Mmm." It's so wonderfully sweet and delicious.

Kyousuke plucks the strawberry from the top of his shortcake and pops it into his mouth, then licks away a generous blob of cream. "Yum." He munches on the shortcake with a blissful expression.

It takes no time at all for the shortcakes to be finished. Riki wipes his mouth. "Ahh, that was good. Thanks, Kyousuke."

"You're welcome." Kyousuke smiles at him.


	262. Time

"How are things?" Kyousuke asks as he speaks into the phone.

"Not bad. Things got a bit hectic this evening. Masato and Kengo fought again."

"Oh boy. What was it this time?" Kyousuke sounds exasperated.

"Oh, Kengo said something that wound Masato up as usual. It was so silly, I didn't bother remembering. But it was fine, I handled things pretty well. Rin helped too."

"What did she do, kick Masato?"

"Of course." Riki laughs a little. "It's the same as usual."

"That's nice." Kyousuke sounds wistful. "Well, I'm planning on coming back in a couple of days so I'll see you then."

"Oh, really?" Riki can't help letting excitement creep into his voice. "I'd better think of something special to do then."

"You don't need to go to all that trouble."

"But I really do want to. After all, I enjoy the time we're together. We should spend that time together having as much fun as we possibly can, right?"

"Yeah. You're right. Okay, I'll look forward to seeing what you come up with."

"Alright." Riki nods, a determined expression showing on his face. "I'll do my best to come up with something fun."


	263. Complete

"Hey." Kyousuke walks into Riki's room one evening.

"Whoah!" Riki is at his desk, doing his homework. He gets to his feet, regarding Kyousuke with surprise. "I didn't know you were back already. How did your job hunt go?"

"Well, they accepted it. So, it looks like I'll have a job waiting for me when I graduate. Finally." Kyousuke exhales heavily.

"Whew. That's a relief, isn't it? Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"So, uh..." Riki gazes at Kyousuke with some apprehension in his eyes. "If your job hunt is over, that means you can stay at school now? Are you going to be with us until you graduate?"

"I guess so. I do plan on graduating, and I was getting dangerously low on attendance days."

Honestly, the fact Kyousuke hadn't run out of attendance days by now was a miracle, Riki thought, as a smile broke out on his face. "That's... that's great. I'm so glad to hear it."

"I'm sure you are. You've really missed me while I've been gone, haven't you?"

"Of course." Riki nods. His expression turns serious. "As fun as it is being with everyone, the Little Busters just aren't complete without you. Even..." He breaks off and shakes his head.

"Hmm?" Kyousuke tilts his head. "What were you going to say?"

"Eh, I dunno, I think it's a bit embarrassing to say after all."

"Nah, go on. I want to hear it."

Riki lowers his head, his face turning a faint shade of pink. "Even my whole world doesn't feel complete without you."

Kyousuke exhales through smiling lips. "Riki." He steps forwards and pulls Riki into a hug. "We're going to have a lot of fun times together from now on, up until the time we graduate, right?"

"Right." Riki closes his eyes and sighs happily.


	264. Broken

"You have a job and you're living on your own now." Riki sips at the warm coffee. "I wonder what's next? Getting a girlfriend, maybe?"

"Eh, who says I don't already have a girlfriend?"

It's such a casual thing to say and yet hearing it is like a wallop to his gut. The coffee mug slips from Riki's fingers and plummets to the floor where it splits apart with a loud crack. Fragments of china scatter among the spreading pool of brown liquid. Riki's mouth hangs open as he stares down at the broken pieces. His chest feels as if it's being tightly squeezed. A fierce heat scorches his face and his eyes sting.

"Riki?" Kyousuke has a stunned look on his face. "Did it shock you that much? It was a joke. A joke. I was kidding. Geez."

"What?" Riki slowly raises his head. "You were?"

"Yeah." Kyousuke smiles in bemusement. "If I'd known you were going to freak out, I wouldn't have done that."

"Uh... ah..." Riki's mouth flaps open and shuts. His cheeks flush a deep scarlet and he lets out an awkward laugh. "Ahaha, right, it was just a joke. The mug just slipped from my hands, that's all. Clumsy me." He kneels down and hastily picks up the pieces, blinking away the tears that were already threatening to spill forth.

"I'll get the mop."

Riki takes advantage of the moment in which Kyousuke is turned away from him to wipe his eyes, and he expels a frustrated sigh. As much as he loves Kyousuke, right now, he honestly wants to give him a good smack.

Why did he even have to make a joke like that in the first place?

Then again, Riki thinks, maybe he had overreacted to it. It had been a harmless joke, that was all. And yet, his reaction was so strong, it surprised even him. He gathers up the pieces and throws them away.

Kyousuke comes back and starts mopping up the puddle. "Are you okay, Riki?"

"Huh? Yeah. Of course. Sorry about the coffee mug." Riki flashes him a forced smile then leaves the kitchen. Despite his assurance, there's a hint of a frown on Kyousuke's face as he watches Riki leave.


	265. Fix

"Well, it's going to take them a while to get here," Kyousuke announced, as he finished the call.

"Aw, man." Riki sighed and sat down on a tree stump. He threw a morose glance at the broken down vehicle. What a fix they had found themselves in, stuck in the middle of nowhere and unable to get to their destination any time soon.

"Cheer up. It's not the end of the world." Kyousuke sat down next to him.

"We'll be really late, and you already bought the tickets."

"Yeah. But, look on the bright side."

"Hm?" Riki glanced at Kyousuke, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. There was a bright side to this disaster?

"We're still getting to spend time together, right? So, really, that's not so bad."

"If you put it that way, then I guess I can't really argue with that." Riki smiled faintly.

"Right." Kyousuke pulled Riki into a hug and rested his cheek against Riki's head. "So, let's just enjoy passing the time together for now."


	266. Best Friend

"I was afraid of saying anything." Riki gazes down at his feet. "You are my best friend, and we've been together for so long. Our friendship is so precious. If anything was to affect that, I don't think I could bear it."

Kyousuke comes up to Riki from behind and slips his arms around him, enfolding him in a hug.

"You don't have to worry about that." Kyousuke murmurs into Riki's ear as he rests his chin on his shoulder. "Everything is going to be fine. Besides, there's nothing in the world that could affect our friendship. I'm sure of it."

"Well, if you say so, then I suppose it must be true." Riki relaxes in Kyousuke's hold and smiles. "I'm so glad it worked out. Now I feel silly for worrying."

"Nah, that's okay. It's not easy, saying something that could affect your friendship, is it?"

"Not really. If things became awkward between us, I wouldn't like that at all."

"Well, they won't." Kyousuke kisses Riki's cheek. "I love you."

Riki turns his head and meets Kyousuke's gaze. "Yeah. I love you too."


	267. Enemy

"A formidable enemy has appeared! We need your power!"

Those first words Kyousuke said to him ring as clear in his mind as if they had been said to him yesterday. Riki could still remember every detail of the day he met Kyousuke so clearly. It had been the defining moment that changed his life.

He can't imagine life with Kyousuke.

He can't imagine a future without Kyousuke either.

Kyousuke had always been there by his side, holding his hand and defeating whatever enemy stood in his way. When he was around, Riki never had to fear or feel sad. He knew Kyousuke would make things alright.

And now he faces a different kind of enemy.

An enemy Kyousuke can't defeat... because he's the cause in a way.

It's that enemy called uncertainty, the fear of not knowing what will result from saying what's on his mind.

"I want to be with you forever, Kyousuke," Riki declares. His voice rings out in the empty baseball clubroom.

No, that's not direct enough. He's told him that plenty of times.

"I love you, Kyousuke."

Riki swallows, gazing into the empty space. It's easy enough to say it when he's alone, but it's going to be a difficult matter when talking to Kyousuke himself. How pitiful. Even though he's become stronger, he's still having trouble taking down his enemy. He slowly grips his fists. One day, he will surely find that confidence and tell Kyousuke for real.


	268. Scandal

The news of him and Kyousuke dating broke out, and now it seems that the entire school is aware of it. Whenever Riki walks through the corridors, he catches glances being thrown his way and overhears whispers. He's not sure if the reception is entirely positive or negative, but it certainly is the source of much gossip. It's almost like a scandal to them. Honestly, he finds it a little irritating, and so he mentions as such to Kyousuke.

"Don't worry, Riki." Kyousuke smiles and pats his head. "I'm sure it will all blow over soon. Has anyone said or done anything nasty to you?"

"No. I think they just find us really fascinating."

"Well then, as long as nobody is trying to hurt you, there's no need to worry."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Riki frowns. "It's still a little annoying, being treated like we're goldfish in a bowl. Is a gay couple really that big a deal?"

"I guess so. I'm sure they will get bored of talking about it sooner or later anyway." Kyousuke brings his hand down to Riki's shoulder, giving it a brisk and gentle squeeze. "Don't let them get to you."

"Yeah. Alright." Riki smiles a little.


	269. Grief

It's okay, right?

Even if he's supposed to be strong for Rin's sake, is it okay to spend these moments alone in his grief? Of course, he's doing his best. He's trying to smile.

Riki knows Kyousuke wouldn't have wanted him to wallow in despair. He would have wanted him to move on. He's not allowed to cry or show weakness. But, it's so hard.

There are days when Riki wants to do nothing more than look at pictures of Kyousuke, to remind himself of that brilliant smile, and to just lie there with his eyes closed, replaying those memories of Kyousuke over and over in his mind.

He loved him so much.

Riki almost feels bad for wanting to grieve, but it's impossible. Grief is not an emotion you can simply just bottle up and stash away deep inside you, not for him anyway.

Maybe over time, the pain will ease. Maybe he won't feel so hollow every time he thinks about Kyousuke being here, but that time is not yet.

So, for now, he'll grieve, and maybe one day, the pain of loss won't be so raw.


	270. Joy

Kyousuke and Riki are browsing through the aisles of a Mandarake store when Riki hears Kyousuke let out a gasp.

"Yes!" Kyousuke exclaims.

Riki quickly makes his way over to Kyousuke, wondering what in the world has got him happy. "Kyousuke?"

Kyousuke turns around with a huge grin on his face. His eyes are radiating with sheer joy. Riki looks at the thin book held in his hands. Does manga really get him that excited?

"They actually have it!" Kyousuke seems to be struggling to contain his unbridled happiness, aware that the two of them are actually in public right now. "This is a Sukurebo doujinshi drawn by a renowned mangaka! I've been hoping to find it for a long time."

Riki doesn't really understand what Kyousuke said, so he simply smiles and nods. As long as Kyousuke is happy, it's all good. "I don't really get it, but good for you."

"Ah, I suppose you wouldn't understand anyway, but this is a really big deal. Ah, I'm so happy." Kyousuke closes his eyes and sighs.

Riki gazes at Kyousuke's radiant face. It really is endearing, seeing him get all excited and happy like this.


	271. Fly

Riki lies flat across his back beside Kyousuke on the grass, gazing up at the vast expanse of blue overhead. The distant profile of a bird soars past his line of vision. He raises a hand and splays his fingers out, facing his palm toward the sky.

"It must be nice." Riki is half speaking to himself in a soft murmur.

"Hm? What is?" Kyousuke turns his head, casting a glance at Riki.

"Being able to fly. I wonder what it's like. It must be amazing."

"Yeah. Well, you can get close enough to it. Paragliding, for example. Hmm, we never did do that one. I'll have to file that one under ideas."

"Mmm, I suppose so, but it still isn't true flying, is it?" Riki drops his hand down and meets Kyousuke's gaze. "Just being able to fly with your body alone would be cool. We could go anywhere we wanted. Where would you go, Kyousuke?"

"Somewhere fun, I guess. But only if everyone else could come too, of course. It wouldn't be much fun if I was the only one who could fly."

"Heh, yeah, I suppose you're right."

"And what about you, Riki?"

"Hmm." Riki turns his gaze back toward the sky. "I dunno. Anywhere I can go with you is fine."

"I see." Kyousuke looks toward the sky as well, smiling faintly.


	272. Say It

When did it start?

Riki isn't sure.

Lately, he's noticed a change in himself. It has to do with Kyousuke. He's always been looking up to Kyousuke and admiring him. He's certainly never been shy about showing how much he cares for Kyousuke either.

But, lately... something's different.

It's a lot of little things; that jolt when his hand brushes against Kyousuke's, his heart thumping when Kyousuke's face is too close to his, that tight feeling in his chest when he's alone and thinking of nothing but Kyousuke. It doesn't take long to realise what it means.

If only saying it was so easy.

They are both boys. If he confesses, it could end up affecting their friendship. What would everyone else think? All those fears hold Riki back from saying those three words.

He hates himself for letting his insecurities get in the way.

At one point, Riki lets them slip out. The two are alone together, walking by the river. Riki momentarily looks up at Kyousuke's profile, dyed gold by the setting sun, and he says the words without thinking, somewhat quietly.

"I love you."

Kyousuke's eyes meet his and a gentle smile forms on his face. "Yeah. I love you too."

Riki tears his gaze away, feeling a pang of disappointment. He didn't make himself clear enough. Kyousuke didn't seem to understand.

Maybe another day.


	273. North

Kyousuke and Riki hold hands as they walk along the street. The snow crunches beneath their feet and a cold wind blows past, tugging at their scarves. Kyousuke stops and gazes up at a towering tree festooned in twinkling lights.

Kyousuke exhales and a cloud of vapour streams from his mouth. Riki sees a smile form on his face.

"Christmas is tomorrow. Santa's going to be coming from the North Pole and delivering presents tonight."

Riki smiles wryly. "Don't you think it's embarrassing, being a grown man and speaking as if Santa actually exists in public?"

"Hah. Of course not."

As expected of Kyousuke.


	274. East

Kyousuke and Riki hold each other in their arms as they sit atop the crest of the hill with their gazes directed to the east. They watch the horizon light up in shades of pink and purple and the golden rays of the sun spread out. It's a beautiful sight to behold and worth coming all this way.

Riki yawns and blinks rapidly. It feels so nice being held in Kyousuke's arms,, he could almost fall asleep, but he resists with all his might. Kyousuke wanted to watch the sunrise after all and they will watch the whole thing together. 


	275. South

Riki sits astride Kyousuke, arms wrapped around his body, and kisses him. They run their hands over each other, meshing their lips together and cuddling. Kyousuke nuzzles the crook of Riki's neck, his lips brushing over soft skin. Riki closes his eyes and sighs, his body tingling with pleasure.

"Huh?" Kyousuke stops. Riki opens his eyes to see Kyousuke's gaze travel south. "Oh, my."

"Ahh." Riki's face blossoms red. He lowers his head, making incoherent mumbling sounds.

Kyousuke lets a chuckle pass through his smiling lips. "Don't worry about it."

As Riki is wonders how that's even possible, Kyousuke kisses him again and his embarrassment is quickly forgotten.


	276. West

"Were we really supposed to head west?" Riki stands before a sheer cliff wall.

"Um. Maybe the map's wrong." Kyousuke's eyes shifted.

Riki turns around, directing narrowed eyes at Kyousuke. "You didn't read it wrong, did you?" A horrified realization dawns on him. "We're not lost, are we?"

"It's alright, Riki. Our hearts will guide us to our destination."

"That's a load of nonsense!"

"Besides, we're together, so we'll be fine." Kyousuke grins.

"What's with that confidence," Riki mutters, shaking his head. But Kyousuke has a point. As long as Kyousuke's here, he's sure things will be work out.


	277. Maze

Kyousuke had suggested they try out a maze with excitement shining in his eyes. It seemed like a fun activity. The tall stone walls loomed overhead on either side, making it incredibly difficult to tell where they were.

"Hm, left or right?" Kyousuke was deliberating over a fork in the path. "Maybe we should split up."

"Eh?" Riki looks alarmed for a second.

"Ah, it's more fun that way, isn't it? Getting lost in a maze is part of the excitement." Kyousuke grins. "Ah, don't make that face, Riki. If you reach a dead end, just retrace your steps. It's not that hard."

"Yeah, I guess. I dunno, this maze is kind of imposing." Just looking up at those towering walls. Riki felt like one could get lost forever in this huge maze. Maybe it was childish of him, but the thought of them separating in a place like this made him feel just a bit uneasy.

"Come on, nobody's ever starved to death in a maze or anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Mmm. Probably." Kyousuke takes out his cellphone. "I could check... ah, no signal."

"Maybe it's better if we don't know."

"Yeah. So, you really want to stick together?"

Riki swallowed. "No, it's okay. I'll go it alone from here on." He was a big boy now. He could do it by himself. Even if he had neither Kyousuke with him nor a cellphone signal.

"Alright then. See you at the exit."

In the end, it's Riki who reaches the exit first, and he finds himself waiting quite a while for Kyousuke to show up.

"Ah, Riki. How long have you been waiting here?"

"Half an hour. So much for it not being that hard, huh?" Riki smiles.

"Hmph." Kyousuke makes a scowling face. "Next time, I'll definitely get through this maze in less than a minute!"

"I think that's a bit much even for you, Kyousuke. Anyway, you must be tired after that."

"As if." And yet, Kyousuke did sound pretty weary, plus he also had beads of sweat dripping down his face.

"Come on, let's go get a drink." Riki takes him by the hand and pulls him away. Fortunately, Kyousuke doesn't resist.


	278. Beginning

After Riki has arrived at the apartment with his stuff and unpacked, Kyousuke popped open a bottle of champagne. He poured a glass for Riki then one for himself.

"A toast to this new beginning," Kyousuke says, clinking his glass against Riki's.

"Eh, is my moving in with you that big a deal?" Riki raises the glass to his lips. A fizzing sound reaches his ears and he sips at the golden liquid. It froths on his tongue and slides down his throat, bringing a pleasant taste and aroma in its wake.

"Sure it is, this is our next big step as a couple. We have lots of exciting times ahead of us."

"Yeah, it is pretty exciting." Riki continues sipping at the champagne. He wonders how much it must have cost. Well, this is surely an occasion worth celebrating. Now they will be under the same roof, every day. To be honest, he thinks, it's not really all too different to when they were in high school together, but he's still elated to think about what lies ahead of them.

Kyousuke and Riki end up polishing off the whole bottle of champagne between them while they consume takeaway sushi and just talk about all sorts of things. It really is a joyous occasion. The evening grows late and they settle down in their futons for the night.

The lights go off and everything is silent.

"Huh..." Riki speaks after a minute.

"What is it?"

"I kinda had an embarrassing thought just now."

"Hm?"

Riki's face flushes. "Just... this is our first night as a couple, together, under the same roof, in the same room."

Kyousuke makes an amused sound. "We've slept next to each other loads of times before, Riki."

"Yeah, I know. It's just... sort of different." Riki laughs awkwardly. "And I feel so excited, I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep much tonight."

"Well, I have work tomorrow so please don't keep me up."

"Alright." Riki turns over and gets comfortable. "Goodnight, Kyousuke."

"Night, Riki."


	279. Ending

"I'm home." Riki strolls into the living room and catches sight of Kyousuke's tear stained face as he looks up from where he sits on the couch. It's an unusual sight and is enough to jolt Riki into an alarmed state. "What's wrong, Kyousuke?"

"The ending... I just..." Kyousuke lowers his head and presses his hand to his eyes. "How could it end this way?!"

"Huh?" Riki is baffled. "Wait, are you talking about manga again?" Immediately, he feels foolish for jumping to conclusions. "Geez, I was worried for a bit there. So, it was that sad, huh?"

"Ah, yeah. I'd recommend you read it, but if you know it has a sad ending, that's a spoiler, isn't it? Crap. I need to be more careful about that."

"That's okay." Riki smiles awkwardly. Kyousuke has recommended him manga plenty of times but he rarely ever gets around to actually reading them. He continues looking at Kyousuke's tear streaked face in bemusement. It's not unusual for him to get overcome by emotional stories and really, it's pretty charming.


	280. Rollercoaster

This is the first time Riki has ever been on a rollercoaster, and the sight of all those loops are incredibly daunting. His hand tightens just a little around Kyousuke's.

Kyousuke glances at him. "What's wrong? Are you nervous?"

It feels shameful to admit to such a silly thing, but Riki nods almost imperceptibly. "I've never been on a rollercoaster before."

At least Kyousuke doesn't laugh at him. "It's alright, Riki. I'll hold your hand the whole time, okay?"

"Okay."

"But, um..."

"Hm?"

"Just try not to break all the bones in my hand, please."

Riki flushes and relaxes his grip. "Sorry," he mutters.

"It's alright. You can scream as much as you like. I won't tell anyone."

"Uh. Thanks, I guess." Riki tries to relax. It's somewhat comforting at least, having Kyousuke sitting next to him and holding his hand. He's glad to have his presence right there. His thoughts are broken off as the rollercoaster starts speeding forward.

In the end, it really wasn't anything to be scared about and he feels a bit silly, but Kyousuke praises him anyway. That makes Riki feel somewhat better.


	281. Broken glass

It just happens without warning.

They are drinking together, in Kyousuke's apartment. In the midst of their alcohol induced stupor, Kyousuke makes a light joke about boys kissing. Riki blushes deeply, and then he blurts out that if it's Kyousuke, he doesn't mind. One thing leads to another and they start kissing. Their lips mesh, their arms snake around each other, and a glass topples from the table.

The sound of breaking glass jolts them out of the moment. For a moment, neither of them know what to say. They look away awkwardly, both of their faces burning red.

"Better clean that up," Kyousuke says finally, rising to his feet. He gets a dustpan and brush and sweeps away the shards of broken glass.

Riki rises from the table and goes to sit down on the couch. His head is spinning and his face feels so hot. He can barely think. He just keeps replaying that moment Kyousuke's lips were touching his in his mind.

Kyousuke sits down next to him. "Well, that happened."

"Mmm."

"Honestly." Kyousuke pauses, pulling in a breath. "You're a good kisser."

Riki makes a choked noise.

Kyousuke glances at him. For a moment, he entertains the idea of kissing him again but pushes the thought away. They have both had a bit too much to drink tonight and it wouldn't be good if things went too far. "It might be better if we talked about it another time, actually."

"Mmm." Riki nods. "Um... Kyousuke?"

"Yeah?"

Riki swallows, his eyes shifting to the side. He fidgets for a short moment, deliberating over the words he's about to say. "I thought you were good too."

"Thanks."


	282. Impossible

It's a fun guys' night together with some light hearted banter going on. The issue of who Riki likes has naturally come up. When Riki is asked if the one he likes is Kyousuke, Kyousuke daringly asks if it's true.

Of course, no matter what the answer was, he wouldn't go any further than this. It's all just in jest after all.

"Are you stupid? I have no idea what you're talking about, but both Kyousuke and I are guys, so it's out of the question."

Because they are both guys? Kyousuke wonders if Riki really means that, but he pushes that thought away. It's too dangerous to think about that sort of thing. But, still...

"I see... It somehow seemed like it wasn't impossible..." Masato says.

"It's impossible."

Kyousuke doesn't like the sound of that word. Does it have to be impossible just because they are both guys? What a weak reason. Before he can spend too long pondering it, Riki diverts the subject, questioning who Kyousuke likes.

This is risky. He has to be careful what he says, so he makes an innocent comment about Riki being number one. Watching Riki blush makes it even better.

Maybe he was just making an excuse after all, but Kyousuke isn't going to probe too deeply. He listens to the conversation a bit more before diverting it to tabletop baseball, adding in one last zinger for fun.

As much as he'd like to know how Riki really feels, he can't go there.

It's impossible after all, but not for the reasons Riki might be thinking of.


	283. Up

Kyousuke scales the tree with ease, while Riki's awkwardly ascending the branches. He takes great care in making sure he has even footing. Once Kyousuke is perched on a suitable branch, he holds out his hand and helps Riki up.

"Phew." Riki exhales. "Climbing trees is difficult."

"It's not too hard once you get the hang of it. Just take it slowly and carefully."

"Uh huh." Riki had very rarely climbed trees when he was younger, so he isn't used to it. "It's kind of exciting. I mean, the thrill of taking risks... we always used to do risky stuff like that. I guess we still do sometimes."

"Hmm, I need to think of something crazy to do. I'll let you know when I do."

"Okay. Sure." Riki doesn't imagine it will take Kyousuke long at all. He leans against Kyousuke and gazes at the horizon with a soft smile on his face. "It sure is nice to do things together like this."

"Yeah." Kyousuke is smiling as well.


	284. Down

"It's a long way down, isn't it?"

Riki makes the comment halfway through their trip up the mountain trail, as he gazes down the sweeping slope below. The cabin at the bottom is barely visible at this point. The view is enough to take his breath away for a moment.

"Not scared, are you?" Kyousuke takes Riki's hand and gives it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"No, I'm fine." Riki flashes him a confident smile. "Actually, I used to be uneasy around high places, even when I was with you guys."

"Yeah. We'd always make sure you were never too close to the edge or anything. You were fine as long as we were together."

"Mmm." Riki nods. "But I don't have to be afraid anymore. I'm glad."

"Yeah." Kyousuke smiles. "Well then, let's go as high as we can."

And so, the two continue their ascent to the very top of the trail.


	285. Kill

Riki was lying on his bed, leafing through the pages of a book he had borrowed from Mio. Nearby, he could hear Masato grunting as he did weight training out in the garden. It was a calm, quiet Sunday afternoon and he was content to spend the time just reading. The book itself, a murder mystery, was fairly interesting and he was rapidly growing engrossed in the plot. He was pulled out of it by the sound of the door opening.

"Riki?"

"Hm?" Riki peered over the top of the book. "What's up, Kyousuke?"

"I'm bored." Kyousuke came over and sat on the bed.

Even someone like Kyousuke could get bored once in a while. It happened so rarely that Riki was often surprised when it did. "Hmm, you don't even want to read a manga or something?"

"Even I get bored of that once in a while." Kyousuke crawled over to lie next to him and rested his head in his hand, gazing at Riki. "Why don't we kill some time together?"

How could Riki possibly say no to the idea of spending time together with Kyousuke? It was just a pity that meant having to put this book down for a while, he really was enjoying it. Oh well, he could finish reading it some other time.

"Okay, you win." Riki put the book aside.

"That's more like it," Kyousuke grinned. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Eh?" Riki blinked, looking at him with consternation. "You mean you don't already have some idea of what you want to do?"

"Well, I guess I could think of something, but I was just wondering if you had any ideas." Kyousuke's head flopped onto the pillow. "Or should we just lie together like this and talk? That's not so bad either. It's relaxing like this."

"Eh. Hmm." Riki's brow furrowed as he racked his brains. Thinking of how to kill some time as Kyousuke had put it was definitely a difficult task. Honestly, just being in Kyousuke's presence was enough for him but thinking about it, it would be nice to do something. The weather was clear and there were no classes, so why not? "Maybe we could go for a walk by the river, go into town."

"Sure, that sounds good. Let's go then."


	286. Adrenaline

It was a crazy thing to do, leaving the school grounds and coming back long after curfew was over. Problem was, for Kyousuke, something being against the rules was practically an invitation to do it sometimes. Even though Kyousuke was with him, he couldn't help feeling nervous as he clambered over the school gate.

"Who's there?"

Shoot. Riki's heart leaped into his throat. They were totally going to get into trouble now.

Fortunately, Kyousuke had his wits about him. "Run!" He grabbed Riki's hand.

Riki almost fell over as Kyousuke started running, but steadied himself in time and ran along with Kyousuke. A surge of adrenaline pumped through his veins as he ran with all he had, back to the boys' dorm. They hurried around the back and burst through the verandah doors into Riki's room.

Kyousuke slammed the doors shut and dropped to his knees. Riki did the same. They exchanged glances, laughing in between gasps for breath.

"What were you guys up to now?" Masato was there, staring at them as if they were crazy.

"We nearly got caught," Riki gasped out.

"Honestly, Riki, if I hadn't been there, you would have been done for." Kyousuke chided him.

"It's your fault for wanting to do something in the first place," Riki muttered. His heart was pounding and he had a huge smile on his face. It might have been a risky thing to do, but at least it was fun.


	287. Run

Riki still has an earlier conversation on his mind while he's alone with Kyousuke. He decides to ask him something, in a casual tone as he possibly can while still hoping.

"So, do you really like me?" Riki asks, putting on an innocent smile.

"Eh, of course." Kyousuke smiles back, replying in a carefree manner. "You're the cutest one out of us, you know."

That wasn't exactly what Riki had been hoping to hear. A surge of emotions come out of nowhere, welling up inside of him. "Is that all I am to you?" He can't stop the words springing forth from his lips. "Am I just like some cute kid brother?"

Kyousuke is staring at him with a shocked expression. The color drains from Riki's face as he realises what he just said. He turns around and breaks into a run.

"Riki!"

Even though Kyousuke is calling after him, Riki doesn't stop. He keeps running until he's back in his room in the dorm building. Masato isn't here, which he's somewhat glad for. He throws himself onto the bed and curls up. His body shakes and tears course down his face.

"Riki?"

The door opens and Kyousuke comes into the room. He steps over to the bed and sits down.

"Sorry, Riki. I never meant to hurt your feelings. I didn't realise you were being so serious... I really am an idiot, huh?"

"No... I'm sorry." Riki reaches up to wipe his tears away. "I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. I just couldn't stop myself. I really didn't mean to say that."

"It's alright." Kyousuke exhales. "So, you really like me, don't you?"

"I guess there's no point in pretending otherwise at this point. Yeah. I've liked you for a while now, but it was hard to say anything. Then, everyone was talking about who each other liked and I finally felt brave enough to ask. Except then you said that and..." Riki trails off, sighing. "So, do you really only think of me in that way then?"

Kyousuke lowers his head, gazing at his feet without saying anything. "No," he admits after a long while has passed. "I really do like you, Riki. I just... wasn't sure. I've been afraid of saying anything for a while. It's just been so natural to tease you and then just deflect the subject whenever things are going into dangerous territory. I really wasn't trying to hurt you, I swear. If I'd known you felt the same way, I would have said something sooner."

Riki sits up and smiles weakly. "I guess it's a good thing I said all that then, otherwise you might not have realized."

Kyousuke's lips twitch and he makes a sound in his throat. "Yeah."

Riki crawls over and puts his arms around Kyousuke. Kyousuke hugs him back and they hold on like that, without saying a word, for a long while.


	288. Understanding

Riki's eyes flutter open as he returns to consciousness. As usual, Kyousuke is there by his size. He reaches out and Kyousuke takes hold of his hand in a warm, reassuring grip. That comforting presence swiftly dispels any unease Riki is feeling.

"How are you?"

"Good." Riki usually recovers pretty fast from the attacks of narcolepsy. "How long was it?"

"Just an hour or so."

"I see." Riki looks around at the room. When he had fallen asleep, Masato, Kengo and Rin had been here as well, talking along with them and generally just enjoying their evening together. They usually left him in peace when he had fallen asleep, even though no ruckus could ever be loud enough to pull Riki from the depths of his sleeping disorder. "Well, that's good then. It was short this time."

"Yeah. Shall I call everyone back? It's not too late."

"That's fine." Riki hates to think that their evening of fun was interrupted, even if they spend every evening doing this. No matter how many times he falls asleep, his friends are always there for him. Kyousuke is by his side almost every time he wakes up. Everyone is so understanding. He's lucky to have friends like them.

"Thank you." Riki's voice is a faint whisper.

"Mm? Did you say something?" Kyousuke had stepped away to make a call.

Riki shakes his head and smiles. "It's nothing."


	289. Explosion

How do you tell your best friend that you're going to die in an explosion because the bus you were all on crashed and that he's going to bear the sole responsibility for taking care of your little sister from now on?

How do you look at that smile and not think about the day that smile's going to be wiped from his face because he found himself facing the heavy burden of loss?

How do you not think about how you'll never be able to tell him that you love him in that way and find out how he feels because there's no future for the two of you and it's cruel, it's just too cruel, so you keep it under wraps.

Kyousuke does his best not to think about any of that.

He won't focus on knowing he's going to die. He won't think about the crashed bus, the leaking gasoline or the imminent explosion that's going to consume everyone, leaving behind only two survivors.

It's not easy, but he tries, for Riki's sake, and for Rin's. He'll push them toward that future filled with despair while remaining strong.


	290. Song

Kyousuke is idly strumming the strings on his guitar and humming along. Riki is sitting across the room from him, half listening while reading a magazine. Kyousuke picks up speed, strumming faster and nodding his head.

Riki focuses his full attention on Kyousuke. It's a pretty catchy tune, he thinks. "Hey, Kyousuke."

"Hm?" Kyousuke stops, looking up. "What?"

"I was just thinking, you like playing the guitar sometimes, but you never really sing, do you?"

"Not much, I guess." Kyousuke falls silent for a moment. "It would have been pretty cool if we could have formed a band."

"Nah, I'd rather stick to baseball. Anyway, a band would be pretty time consuming and expensive, don't you think?"

"Like I'd like that stop me."

"Yeah, yeah." Riki sighs. "So, like I was saying, I've never heard you sing much at all."

"Hmm. I could try it right now." Kyousuke fell into thought. "Okay, here we go. An Impromptu Love Song for Riki!" He started strumming.

That wasn't quite the kind of thing Riki had in mind, but he decided to keep quiet anyway. Hopefully, it wasn't going to be too embarrassing.

"Oh, yeah, Riki, you're just fine. You're simply divine. When I see your face, it makes my heart raaaaace... yeah..." Kyousuke paused. "Oh, don't you know, baby, yeah, I love you so much, I want to be with you forever and ever... always together... you're the only one for me, my love. Oh yeah, Riki... you really make..." There was a very long pause. "My knees go all weak-y!"

"Stop. Just stop." Riki held up his hands.

Kyousuke set the guitar down, sticking his lower lip out. "Impromptu singing isn't as easy as people make it look."

"Yeah, well... your voice is fine at least. You really do have a nice singing voice."

"Thanks, I guess. I'll come up with a better song someday."

"Alright, I look forward to hearing it then." Riki returned his attention to the magazine.


	291. Beautiful

It's a familiar scene Riki has seen so many times before. A crowd of girls are gathered outside of the third year classroom, excitedly talking among themselves as they peer into the room. He knows exactly what they are looking at.

He pushes his way into the classroom and stops to look at Kyousuke, who is reading manga at his desk with a grin on his face. Riki's heart skips a beat as he takes in the sight. He can understand why girls are drawn to watch Kyousuke while he's engaged in this particular activity.

He just looks so... beautiful.

It's hard not to stare at him.

The seconds tick by and he continues standing there, just taking in the sight.

Kyousuke looks up from the manga and makes eye contact with him. A smile forms on his face and he closes the manga, then rises from his desk.

The spell is broken and Riki snaps back to attention. He hears giggling behind him and flushes.

Honestly, why does Kyousuke have to be so attractive?


	292. Ugly

Kyousuke is used to finding love confessions and letters in his locker, though they have dwindled down in number after his relationship with Riki went public. In spite of that, he'll still get the occasional note from someone who felt the need to tell him anyway. This one is entirely new however.

'I can't believe you're actually dating another boy. That's disgusting.'

Kyousuke makes a soft hmph sound and crumples the note up. Some humans have truly ugly natures. What did the writer of this note intend to make him feel? He's not going to let trash like this affect him. He walks away, whistling, and tosses the note into a trashcan.

As he leaves the school building, Kyousuke catches sight of Riki and heads over to him.

"Hey, Riki."

Riki is about to respond, but his words are stifled by Kyousuke's lips pressing against his.

"That was sudden," Riki says, when Kyousuke breaks away.

"Yeah, I just wanted to kiss you. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, not at all." Riki smiles.

Kyousuke smiles back and puts his arm around Riki's shoulder. He's not going to tell him about that note. Better to let it just be forgotten about. The ugly side of humanity is not something he'll allow to get to them.

They are happy together and that's all that matters.


	293. Brilliant

"Huh?" Riki looks up at the towering building above them. This is where Kyousuke has brought him for their date. There is a dome at the very top of the building. He can see a sign with the word Planetarium on it. "This is..."

"It's a new place that opened up recently. You haven't been to a planetarium before, have you?"

Riki shakes his head.

"Me neither. This should be an interesting experience for both of us. There's a restaurant here too, so we're good for food. Let's go and take a look at the stars."

It seems a considerable number of people have had the same idea as them, so they find themselves queueing for a while but they finally reach the front and are admitted to the planetarium. Kyousuke and Riki take their seats beneath the dome and wait expectantly. Before long, the room dims and a radiant glow emits from the ceiling, drawing their gazes to the spectacle overhead.

The brilliant array of sparkling stars is such a magnificent sight to behold that it steals Riki's breath away. All around him, he hears gasps and awed exclamations. He casts a glance sideways, seeing the raptured look on Kyousuke's face. It's such a beautiful sight to behold, neither of them can look away. They continue to watch the stars, basking in the soft blue glow it casts down upon the audience, as a voice explains to them the stars' history.

After the show is over, Kyousuke and Riki take their leave.

"That was amazing," Riki comments with a dreamy smile on his face. "That was a good idea you had, Kyousuke."

"It was, wasn't it?" Kyousuke is smiling as well. "Maybe we'll have to invite everyone else along next time."

After that, they eat dinner at the restaurant. By the time they leave, it's started to rain. Fortunately, there's a shop just by the exit that sells umbrellas and Kyousuke pops in to buy one. He holds it over him and Riki as they step outside, holding hands.


	294. Hit

"You're a disgusting freak!"

A fist strikes Riki in the cheek.

He lies still, not making a sound as the two boys hit and kick him. There are aches and pains all over where he has been struck. They have been going at it for the past five minutes while taunting him for being in love with another boy and making snide jokes about him looking like a girl.

"Aren't you gonna say anything, huh?"

Riki presses his lips together, his fists clenched. At one time, he would definitely have cried or shouted for help, but he's supposed to be strong now. He won't give these bullies the satisfaction of seeing him cry or shout for help

"Ahh, this is boring. I thought he was supposed to be like a total pussy, but he's not even crying or anything. What gives?"

"Whatever, let's just leave the freak alone."

The two boys walk away, leaving Riki alone in the empty classroom.

Riki sighs in relief and pulls himself to his feet. He heads to the bathroom and splashes his face with cold water, washing away the blood that resulted from their punches. His reflection stares back at him. There are a few red blotches that feel tender to touch. Fortunately, the damage doesn't seem to be too bad.

This is the first time he's ever been beaten up. Riki hugs his body and shivers. A stinging sensation spreads over the back of his eyes. He takes a deep breath and holds back the tears. Those bullies wanted him to be miserable, but he's not going to let them get to him.

Riki heads outside and finds Kyousuke reading manga on a bench. He sits down next to him.

"Hey." Kyousuke looks up. His expression turns worried. "Riki, what happened to your face?"

Bullies left a note in his locker, lured him to an empty classroom and proceeded to beat him up for being part of a gay couple. That's what happened, but Riki is hesitant to tell him the whole thing. Still, Kyousuke might just figure it out anyway.

"Ah, a couple guys jumped on me. They got bored and left pretty quickly though."

"Riki..."

"It's fine." Riki smiles. "Don't worry. I'm okay."

His words fail to ease the concern from Kyousuke's face. "Riki, you'll tell us if this happens again, won't you?"

"Yeah." Riki rests his head against Kyousuke's shoulder, closes his eyes and smiles. He's so happy to be together with Kyousuke and he'll never let anyone spoil that happiness for him.


	295. Scream

It can't end like this. That would be much too cruel. They were supposed to be together forever, when Riki fought against fate and gave Kyousuke that second chance at life.

And now Riki is...

"Hold on!" Kyousuke clutches Riki's trembling body to his chest. There's so much blood. It's everywhere, even all over his own clothes. "Riki, you can't die! I won't let you! Please!" He can barely see Riki's pale face through the sheen of tears in his eyes. "It's not supposed to be like this!"

"Kyousuke..." Riki's voice rasps out. He spasms in Kyousuke's arms and coughs.

"No, don't talk." Kyousuke bites his lip. He's so scared, more than he's ever been in his entire life. The thought that he could end up losing Riki is just too much to bear. He loves Riki so much. He can't lose him.

Kyousuke wants to scream, but he does his best to hold it in. It's hard enough to keep calm. The tears are spilling down his cheeks. He does nothing to keep them back.

"Kyousuke... I... love you..." Riki's eyes flutter shut.

"No, Riki! Riki, hold on!" Kyousuke exclaims. His voice rises to a scream. "Rikiii!"

At that moment, the ambulance comes. They rush Riki to the hospital. The wait in the hospital hallway is agonising.

Riki can't die. That's just wrong.

The doctor emerges from the operating room. His clothes and gloves are drenched with blood. Kyousuke waits for what he has to say. His mouth is dry and he can hardly hear anything over the roaring of his pounding blood.

"He's going to make it," says the doctor. "It was touch and go for a while, but we saved him."

Kyousuke's legs give way beneath him and he falls to the floor. He sobs with tears of relief in his eyes.

Fate has been merciful to them once again.


	296. Sigh

Riki sighs. Again.

He and Kyousuke have been sitting on the grass after lunch, passing the time together, and though Riki has mostly been quiet while Kyousuke leafs through the last few pages of the manga volume he's on, he swears he heard him sigh at least five times now.

"Riki, is something wrong?" Kyousuke closes the manga and sets it down. He focuses his full attention on Riki, who averts his gaze.

"Um. It's nothing."

"It's obviously not nothing. Out with it."

"Mmm." Riki presses his lips together. He looks even more awkward with each second that goes by. "It's hard to say."

"Come on, now. It's not like it's a confession of love, is it?"

Riki makes a strange, choked noise.

Kyousuke waits, watching. Riki's face is red. He's not saying anything, but he still looks so uncomfortable.

"Riki...?" Kyousuke's heart starts beating faster as a wave of shock washes over him. Is it really true? "Hey, I was just kidding, you know... um..." He doesn't know what else to say. Riki being awkward, especially when confronted with issues of who he likes, is something he's used to but this feels different somehow.

Riki's fists slowly clench.

"Yeah. That's exactly what I wanted to say."

"Oh." Kyousuke turns his head away. A slowly spreading warmth suffuses his cheeks. His head spins as he takes it all in. "So, you like me then?"

"Yeah... I do."

A long silence follows.

"Huh." Kyousuke falls down onto his back. He never imagined something like this would actually happen. The very idea that Riki might fall in love with him seemed like a mere dream, and yet, it's actually happening. This is so sudden, he doesn't really know what to think. "I didn't see that coming."

"So, yeah, I said it." Riki gets to his feet. "I got it off my chest. If you... if you don't feel the same way, then... that's fine, I guess. We can still be friends, right? I hope we can."

Riki starts walking away.

Kyousuke gets up and runs after him. He throws his arms around Riki and pulls him into a tight hug. "Hey. Don't go away."

"Kyousuke." Riki stiffens slightly in his hold.

"It's okay." Kyousuke rests his chin on Riki's shoulder. "I like you too, Riki."

"You... you really do?"

Riki turns around, facing Kyousuke with hopeful eyes.

"Yeah. I do."

"Kyousuke." A smile spreads across Riki's face and his eyes shine with delight. "You really feel the same way... thank goodness..."

"Mmm." Kyousuke leans in to kiss his lips. They are so soft. A thrill passes through him as their lips touch and Riki presses back. Their arms grasp each other tightly as they continue to kiss, savouring that delightful moment when they kiss for the first time.


	297. Red

It doesn't take a lot of effort to make Riki blush. Kyousuke can't help but enjoy watching his face turn red.

Just one comment about him being cute and there he goes, turning the colour of a tomato yet again. Sometimes, Kyousuke wonders why he enjoys embarrassing Riki so much and he figures he just does. Riki's so cute, he just can't help it.

"There you go, teasing me like that again." Riki sounds mildly exasperated. It doesn't sound like he minds too much though. If he really had a problem with it, Kyousuke would sure he would make it clear.

Kyousuke laughs and places his hand upon Riki's head. He caresses the soft mop of hair atop that head for a moment then brings his hand down, brushing his thumb over Riki's cheek. For a second, their eyes are locked. Kyousuke's heart starts thumping.

Then he drops his hand and turns his head away, making some flippant comment that comes to mind.


	298. Strawberries

"I got some strawberries." Kyousuke sits down next to Riki. "These will be nice to eat on a day like this." He offers the carton to Riki.

Riki takes a strawberry and pops it into his mouth. It's wonderfully sweet and juicy. He closes his eyes and focuses on the delightful sensation of the sweet strawberry disintegrating in his mouth. It really is a nice treat on a hot summer day like this.

"Good, huh?" Kyousuke takes a strawberry and chews. He swallows with a contented smile. "Ahh, it really is nice."

They keep going until the carton is completely devoid of strawberries.

"That was lovely." Riki licks his sticky lips. "Thank you, Kyousuke." He leans and presses his lips against Kyousuke's, tasting the hint of strawberry that still clings to them.


	299. Lie awake

Falling asleep feels like it's going to be impossible.

Riki lies awake, staring up at the bottom of the bed above him. He can hear Masato breathing overhead. Well, it sure is nice that someone is able to sleep. If only he could, but he can't. His entire body is tingling with excitement. He can't stop thinking. A tumult of emotions whirls around in his mind.

Something incredible happened today.

He confessed to Kyousuke, and Kyousuke felt the same way about him. It almost feels like a dream, but he knows it's real.

Riki almost considers texting Kyousuke to see if he's awake as well, but decides not to.

He rolls over in the bed, with a blissful smile on his face.

A new future awaits him, one where he's together with Kyousuke. He can't wait to see what that future will bring them both.


	300. Feeling

It's an unpredictable thing, that feeling called "love".

Specifically, of the romantic kind.

Riki tried to deny it. He tried to tell himself he was mistaken. He was just confused. They were both boys, so it couldn't happen, right?

Then that flew out of the window when Rin and Komari started dating, and Riki realised how foolish his denial was. If the two girls could profess their love to each other and tell everyone without a care for silly things like gender issues, then why couldn't he?

It wasn't easy though.

What if Kyousuke didn't feel the same way about him?

Putting their friendship in jeopardy was too risky. He spent countless hours agonising over it. Was there a way to discover Kyousuke's feelings without being too direct?

One day, he sees that flyer for Kyousuke's blog. As he wonders how in the world it hasn't been taken down yet, an idea occurs to him. It's somewhat sneaky, but he's low on ideas.

So, he submits two questions, using different aliases to be on the safe side, and waits for the blog to update. Maybe it will be worthless, he thinks. Kyousuke always comes up with ridiculous answers for these things after all. Still, it might be worth a try. 

The answers come in.

The first one is for the question he submitted under the nickname "Masatatsu", written in hiragana.

[Question]

Hello, I am a boy and I'm currently holding a very big secret - I may be in love with another boy, but I don't know what to do. What do you think of boys dating each other?

[Answer]

Who cares what gender you are? Love is love. Just go for it and confess your feelings. If he thinks you're gross for saying so, then maybe he's not worth it. Also, don't care about what other people think. Even if they look down on you, just ignore them.

It's heartening to see Kyousuke respond in this way. Actually, Riki had expected an answer like this anyway, considering how supportive he was being of Rin and Komari. After all, why wouldn't he? No harm in making sure at least.

He looks at the next one, submitted under the nickname "Curious". Okay, he's pretty bad at nicknames.

[Question]

Kyousuke-san, is there anyone you like?

[Answer]

Well, I suppose there is someone I like... but I'm certainly not saying it on this blog.

So there's someone Kyousuke likes after all. Riki's heart gives a painful thump. Who is this person? He's never seen Kyousuke with any girls beside the other Little Busters.

Maybe it's not a girl?

Riki's grip tightens around the phone.

He needs to know.

When it's lunch break, he hurries to Kyousuke's classroom. Surprisingly, it's Kyousuke who requests they talk alone. Could it be, he figured it out? They go to a quiet area outside the building. Riki stares at Kyousuke's back, his mouth dry with nervousness.

"Did you see my blog?"

"Uh? Ah... yeah... I do look at it sometimes."

"That was you, right?" Kyousuke turns around, watching Riki expectantly.

"Huh?!" Riki exclaims. "Y-you knew...?"

"Come on, Riki." Kyousuke closes his eyes, sighing a little. "Using a different reading of the kanji for your name isn't all that hard to see through. Besides, both questions came at the same time and had the same I.P. address."

"I.P. address?" Riki tilts his head.

"Never mind." Kyousuke smiles. "So, are you curious about who I like?"

"Ah." As usual, Kyousuke saw right through him. It really is difficult to hide anything from him. "Erm... maybe..." Riki directs his stare toward his feet. 

"Who I like... it's someone I've known for a long time."

Riki's head jerks up.

"He's really cute. I love him a lot."

"Kyou... suke..."

"It's you, Riki. You're the one I like."

"Kyousuke." Riki's eyes well up. "You mean, you really do have feelings for me?"

"Yeah. You could have just asked, you know. There was no need for this roundabout nonsense."

Riki can't hold back the tears. They spill over his cheeks and he throws himself upon Kyousuke.

"Geez, I told you, you're not supposed to be a crybaby anymore." Kyousuke puts his arms around Riki.

"I don't care." Riki sniffs. "I'm so happy. I was so scared, I thought you might not feel the same way so I didn't want to say anything at first. I couldn't risk our friendship like that. But, in the end, I guess it worked out after all. I'm really glad."

Kyousuke brings a hand to Riki's head and caresses his hair. "I love you, Riki."

"Mmm. I love you too." Riki turns his head up, meeting Kyousuke's gaze.

Kyousuke's head dips down and their lips meet. They hold onto each other tightly as they experience their first kiss, and it feels so good.


	301. Redemption

"Kyousuke! You're finally here!" Riki exclaims as he opens the door. "You were way later than you said you would be. I was getting worried."

"Ah, sorry about that, I got caught up in stuff." Kyousuke brings up his hand and places it upon Riki's head. "I didn't mean to make you worry. How can I make it up to you?"

"No, no, it's not that big a deal. You needn't seek redemption."

"Well, will a kiss do?"

"Sure." Riki smiles.

Kyousuke pulls Riki into his arms and holds him close while pressing his lips to Riki's in a lingering kiss. They remain like that for several seconds before breaking apart and looking into each other's eyes with smiles on their faces.

"Again?" Riki asks.

Naturally, Kyousuke complies.


	302. Spit

Riki is startled awake by something brushing against his chin. His eyes fly open and he finds himself looking at Kyousuke.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Eh?" Riki blinks. "What... did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah." Kyousuke is holding a napkin, which is marked with a dark spot. "You were drooling, so I was just wiping the spit away."

"Oh." Riki wipes at his chin. To think he had been caught drooling in his sleep. How shameful indeed. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"You looked so cute in your sleep, there was no way I could wake you. On purpose, I mean."

Hearing that only makes Riki feel even more embarrassed.


	303. Control

"Whoah! Another one!" Riki frantically hammered on the controls. However, it was useless, as the life bar emptied and he found himself faced with another 'Game Over'. "Geez, these later levels are tough."

"You're getting too worked up, Riki. Just keep calm." Kyousuke put his hands over Riki's. "It's only a game."

"Ah." Riki became extremely conscious of Kyousuke's body resting against his. "Um. I'm not used to playing games so..." It was Kyousuke who had brought this School Revolution game after all. He had simply been curious about trying it out.

"Let me show you." Kyousuke gently pried the controller from Riki's hands and restarted the level. He rested his chin on Riki's shoulder as he made his way through the levels. "You need to be calm and in control at all times. Always expect the unexpected and be aware of your surroundings. These Darkness Executives can come out of literally nowhere."

It was nice and all that Kyousuke was giving him tips, Riki thought, but how was he supposed to focus like this? All he could think about was Kyousuke's arms around him and their warm bodies pressing together. It felt so comforting.

"Riki?"

"Huh? Oh, right." Riki returned to his senses. "Okay. I'll give it another try."

"Good luck." Kyousuke handed him back the controller and shifted away. "If you think it's difficult now, wait until you get to the final boss."

Riki nodded, gripping the controller tightly with a determined look.


	304. Funeral

Rain is pouring endlessly from the blanket of grey clouds draped across the sky. A throng of people clad in black with pale white faces surround him. He's completely frozen in place, his feet rooted to the ground. All he can do is watch as as the funeral proceedings take place.

It's not right at all. This isn't right. He refuses to believe such an awful truth. There's no way Kyousuke can be dead. Kyousuke wouldn't just leave him all alone like this. Riki opens his mouth to scream-

Then he wakes up.

Riki sits up and gasps. His eyes are wet with tears.

It's only been a week since the accident, on that awful day when everyone almost died. Riki presses his trembling hands to his face and takes a deep breath. How he wishes Kyousuke was here.

However, Kyousuke is in a hospital bed, and Riki has no idea when he will return. At least he's alive.

But he nearly died.

Riki almost had to know the pain of losing him...

No. He can't think like that. He has to be strong now.

Be positive, he tells himself. Kyousuke wouldn't want him to give in to his weaknesses,

He'll wait for the day Kyousuke returns, and keep smiling and being strong until then.


	305. Moving In

It was evening when Riki received a call from Kyousuke. "Hey." He answered with a bright smile on his face. "How are you?"

"Good," Kyousuke replied. "I've moved into my new place now."

"Oh, that's right, today was moving in day, wasn't it? How did it go?"

"Okay. No problems whatsoever."

"I see. It must be pretty exciting, having a place all of your own. You're really living like an adult now."

"Yeah. I've still got a lot of boxes to unpack though." Kyousuke exhaled. "That's going to be fun. It will take a while."

"You really have that many boxes?" Riki raised an eyebrow. Just how much stuff did Kyousuke have?

"Well, yeah, I've got a lot of manga, you know."

"Oh." So much for living like an adult, Riki thought. "But, Kyousuke, did you really need to keep all the manga?"

"Of course. How could I just get rid of it?"

Riki shook his head, smiling wryly. He knew Kyousuke was really into manga, but to think he was that devoted to it. "Okay. Well, good luck with living on your own. I hope it all goes well."


	306. Morning Breath

Riki cracked his eyes open. Judging by how light the room was, he figured it was morning now. He turned his head to see Kyousuke lying on his side next to him with closed eyes. Riki sat up to check the clock. It was about time for Kyousuke to get up now.

"Hey." Riki put a hand on Kyousuke's shoulder. "It's morning."

"Mmm?" Kyousuke's eyes fluttered open. "Oh, Riki. Morning already?"

"Yeah."

Kyousuke pushed himself up, blinking heavily. He stretched his arms over his head. "Ahh. I just want to go back to sleep."

"You can't."

"Yeah, I know." Kyousuke directed a sleepy smile at Riki, then leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

Riki's nose wrinkled at the smell that permeated his nostrils. As nice as Kyousuke kissing him was, that morning breath wasn't so pleasant. Still, he couldn't just go and say it. That wouldn't be nice. As they broke away, he rearranged his face in a pleasant smile, urging himself to act natural.

"Well then. Up I get." Kyousuke rose from the futon.

As he disappeared into the bathroom, Riki quietly exhaled in relief.


	307. Toothbrush

Riki gazed at his reflection in the mirror as he ran the toothbrush over his teeth. Behind him, he saw Kyousuke stumble into the bathroom. His eyes were still half lidded with sleep and his hair sticking up in places.

"Morning," Kyousuke mumbled.

Riki spat out the toothpaste. "Good morning."

Kyousuke came over and put his arms around Riki in an embrace. Riki studied Kyousuke's face in the mirror.

"You seem pretty tired," Riki commented. "I hope you're going to be okay at work."

"Ah, it will be fine." Kyousuke rested his cheek against Riki's head and closed his eyes. A smile formed on his face.

"Honestly, how carefree can you get. You stayed up late reading manga again, didn't you?"

"Of course." Kyousuke let go and stepped aside to pick up his own toothbrush. "Like I said, it's fine." He flashed a grin at Riki.

Riki didn't doubt that. It was Kyousuke, after all.


	308. Duct Tape

"Whoah!" Riki exclaimed as the chair collapsed beneath him without warning. He was just barely able to save himself from falling to the floor. "Ahh, there goes the chair." One of the chair legs had split neatly in two.

Kyousuke came over to examine the damage. "Ah, it's no problem at all. I can just use duct tape to fix it."

"Are you serious?" Riki looked at him with disbelief. "Surely it would be better to just get a new chair."

"Hm?" Kyousuke responded with a quizzical expression. "But it's cheaper to just use duct tape, right? Anyway, I'm sure it will be fine. Duct tape can fix anything, right?"

"No, no, no." Riki pressed a hand to his forehead. "I really don't think duct tape will help. Just where did you even get these chairs from?"

"Uh. A flea market." Kyousuke averted his gaze.

"A flea market?!"

"Hey, I don't have a lot of money." Kyousuke sounded a little defensive. "Anyway, it already lasted this long, so it's not that bad."

Riki sighed. "Okay, how about I buy some replacement chairs?"

"Eh?" Kyousuke looked surprised. "Are you sure? It really would be cheaper to just try the duct tape."

"I insist. I live here too after all, so just let me help out. I really don't mind."

"Okay, if you're really sure."

"Yeah. Don't worry about it."


	309. Saran Wrap

"We've got so much food left over," Riki is saying as he covers the multitude of plates in saran wrap. Kyousuke stands by, watching on. "We bought way too much."

"I suppose we did, didn't we?" Kyousuke smiles wryly. "With there being ten of us, I thought we'd need plenty of food."

"Yeah, well, they didn't quite meet our expectations, did they?" Riki starts putting the plates into the fridge.

"You're so efficient, Riki," Kyousuke says. "The party's barely over and you're already putting the food away."

That sure was a random thing for Kyousuke to bring up, Riki thinks. "Well, it's not good to just leave food sitting out, you know. There's so much of it too."

Kyousuke picks up the last of the plates and loads them into the fridge. "Okay, all done," he announces as he closes the fridge. "That was such a fun party, wasn't it?" As he makes that statement, his mouth widens into a grin.

"Mmm." Riki nods. "I can't wait for the next one. You really know how to make sure we're enjoying ourselves, Kyousuke. You really are amazing."

"Thanks for the compliment."


	310. Whipped Cream

"Ah, hold on."

Riki was about to take the dirty dishes from the table when Kyousuke stopped him. Kyousuke got up and stepped close.

"You've got some whipped cream on your face," Kyousuke said, as he rubbed his thumb over Riki's cheek.

"Oh." Riki saw the white dollop of cream on Kyousuke's thumb as he took his hand away. "Thank you... eeeeh?!" His surprise was natural, for Kyousuke had just stuck his thumb in his mouth and sucked it off.

"Hm?" Kyousuke regarded him with a blank expression. "What is it?"

"N-never mind." Riki ducked his blushing face as he carried the dishes to the kitchen. How could Kyousuke do embarrassing things and be so carefree about it at the same time? He really was something.


	311. Fashion

It came as a surprise to Riki when he was told he had a delivery and found someone had sent flowers to him. They were arranged in a neat fashion, wrapped in fancy paper and tied with an elegant bow. At first, his mind was blank. Just who would have sent him flowers? His question was answered when he saw the card.

'Happy Valentine's Day. Love, Kyousuke.'

Kyousuke had actually sent him flowers. The thought put a huge smile on Riki's face. People were staring at him as he walked back to the dormitory. No doubt they were going to be wildly speculating about it, but he didn't care.


	312. Jeans

"Ah." Riki grunted as he tugged at the hem of his jeans, his face contorting in frustration.

"Having trouble?" Kyousuke asked.

"Uh, these new jeans are just a little tight, that all." Riki expelled a heavy breath and tried pulling again.

"Oh dear." Kyousuke approached him from behind and cupped Riki's waist with his hands. His lips pressed against the side of Riki's neck and he slipped his hands down toward Riki's hips.

"Hey, come on, that's not helping." Riki wriggled around in his grasp. "Seriously, let me get dressed,"

"Okay, okay." Kyousuke stepped away. "You need help?"

"No, I can do it." With one last tug, Riki pulled his jeans up to his waist. "Phew. There we go."


	313. Panic

"Uwah!" Riki ran into the kitchen the second he smelled the smoke. He hastily switched off the oven and yanked the oven door open. A thick white plume poured out, obscuring his vision. Riki coughed and waved his hands in the air, struggling to clear away the smoke so he could retrieve the cake.

By the time he had taken it out, the top was already charred black.

"Oh no, oh no, what am I going to do?" Riki was horrified. Should he make another one? Except he was pretty sure he had used up the last of the eggs and he'd have to go to the convenience store, and Kyousuke would be back soon, and he just didn't have time. Was there some way to unburn a cake? Of course not, what was he thinking? "Okay, okay. Don't panic." Riki took in a deep breath to calm himself.

He grimly looked at the cake and accepted the sad fact that Kyousuke's birthday cake was not going to be perfect after all. Hopefully, it would still be edible.

Honestly, how could he have let such a thing happen? Riki was thoroughly ashamed of himself.

Nothing to do but slather it in icing and hope it was enough to mask the taste of burnt cake.

After dinner, Riki put the cake out and expectantly watched on as Kyousuke took a bite of it.

"Mmm. Good." Kyousuke nodded, taking another bite.

"What? Really?" Riki looked astonished. "Even though I ended up burning it?"

"Of course. It doesn't matter if it's perfect or not, it's made with your feelings, so it will be delicious anyway."

"Really?" Riki blushed a little. "Thanks, Kyousuke." He took a bite of his own piece.

It could have been better. A lot better. But Kyousuke was happy with it, so really, that was all that mattered.


	314. Stutter

Riki and Kyousuke were browsing a gift shop when Riki stopped to stare at a shelf filled with gag gifts for loved ones. They had stuff like this in here?

"Hm?" Kyousuke joined him in looking at the display. "What is it? You interested in this?" He pointed at a speedo with text written on it saying 'Reserved for', with a blank white strip of cloth underneath, presumably for someone to write a name on.

"What?! N-no, of course not! Th-that's ridiculous!" Riki blurted out. His cheeks were already turning red.

Riki was always so quick to get embarrassed and start blushing, Kyousuke thought with an amused smile, and that way he would stutter and get all awkward really was so cute.

"You're totally stuttering, you know."

"Eeh? No, no, I wasn't st-stutter..." Riki broke off, hanging his head. "Anyway, it was your fault for saying something embarrassing."

"So, you don't want it then?" Kyousuke asked. "Okay, I'll buy it then."

"We're breaking up," Riki said in a deadpan voice.

"Oh, come on, I was just kidding."

"Anyway, let's get back to finding a gift for Rin and Komari-san." Riki walked away.


	315. Satan

"You seem to be really enjoying that manga," Riki commented, as he heard Kyousuke laugh again. Of course, he didn't mind. He liked to hear that laugh. Heck, just watching Kyousuke read was a delightful activity in itself. Riki didn't think he could ever get bored of it. "Is it really that funny?"

"Oh yeah. It's hilarious. It's about Satan getting a part time job."

"Um. Okay." Riki blinked. That sure was a random idea for a story.

"It's actually an adaptation of a light novel though, but it's great."

Riki just nodded. "Okay."

"I wasn't bothering you, was I?" Kyousuke glanced at him.

"Of course not." Riki flashed him a reassuring smile. "I love watching you read."

"I could give you some manga to read."

"No, that's okay." Riki shook his head. "You just get back to reading."


	316. Dog

As Riki looked up at Kyousuke, he noticed how the light of the setting sun glanced off his hair, casting a radiant glow around his profile. It was such a dazzling sight that he found himself just staring with his mouth hanging open, paying little attention to where he was walking.

The moment was broken when Riki's shoe sank into something soft. He came to a halt and looked down. The sight of his foot planted squarely on a soft, brown substance brought him considerable dismay.

"Uwah!" Riki exclaimed, scraping his shoe on the ground frantically.

"What's wrong?"

"I stepped in dog poo!"

"Oh." Kyousuke sighed. "Yeah, it sucks when that happens."

"Ahh, why can't people just pick up after their dogs?!" Riki clutched at his head.

"It's not the end of the world, Riki," Kyousuke said in a calm voice. "Just wash it off when we get back to school."

"I guess I have to." Riki exhaled. He started walking alongside Kyousuke, with a frown etched on his face. Whoever was responsible for the dog fouling had totally interrupted the moment. How annoying.


	317. Cat

"Huh?" Riki is startled by something rubbing against his leg. A mew reaches his ear. "Oh, it's one of the cats. What is this one called again?" He reaches down to stroke the cat.

"I believe that one's Fyodor."

"Oh. Right." Riki sits back against the bench and the cat jumps up next to them. "You saddled these poor cats with such absurd names, you know."

"Well, they don't mind." Kyousuke rubs the cat's head. He looks pensive for a moment. "Hm."

"What is it?"

"Ah, just thinking. I guess I won't be bringing so many cats to school once I've graduated, huh? Unless you want to do it instead."

Riki puts on a forced smile. "As much as I'm willing to follow in your footsteps, that's one thing I'm not really planning to do. Rin has enough cats now, don't you think?"

"Hm. You think so?"

"Yes." Riki throws him an exasperated glance.

"Well, I suppose you're right." Kyousuke rests his cheek in his hand, smiling. "You're so responsible, Riki. You really do make a great substitute leader for the Little Busters."

"Ah, you think so?" Riki idly runs his hand along the purring cat's body. "Thanks... I've been doing my best. I'll keep doing so even after you're gone." He returns the smile.


	318. Heartbreak

"Ahh." Kyousuke sighs. He's had a glum look on his face ever since he finished reading that manga volume five minutes before.

"Was it that sad?" Riki asks, sitting next to him and peering at his face.

"The ending was so heartbreaking." Kyousuke leans over and hugs Riki.

"Eh...?" Riki is somewhat surprised to be hugged so suddenly, not that he minds at all. He glances at the cover. Judging by the illustration, it's probably some romance manga. Riki puts his arms around Kyousuke in return and rubs his back.

"I'm so glad we have each other, Riki."

"Yeah. Me too."


	319. Elope

"Eloping sounds kind of romantic, don't you think?" Kyousuke says one evening.

Riki glances at him with an odd look. "What prompted that all of a sudden?"

"Ah, it was in this manga I read today. It's about a couple whose families are against them dating, so they elope, but it turns out their union has drastic consequences and so they set out on a journey to save the world. It's very interesting."

"Um. Okay." A bead of sweat formed on Riki's head. Typical Kyousuke. That manga plot sounded pretty out there too. How did they come up with this stuff? "Anyway, it's not like we'd have to. Homosexuality isn't illegal these days."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I was just thinking it sounds kind of cool."

"Uh huh." Riki smiled awkwardly. Kyousuke could be so random sometimes, he thought.


	320. Telephone

The ringing of the telephone cuts through the silence. Riki hurries to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Oh, Kyousuke. Are you calling from work?" Riki leans against the table, holding the phone to his ear.

"Yeah. It looks like I might be working late tonight, so I just wanted to let you know."

"Ah, I see."

"Sorry about that."

"No, it's okay." Riki shakes his head. "You do what you have to do."

"Well, anyway, just letting you know so you don't spend all evening waiting for me to get home. I'm not sure what time I'll be back but I'll see you soon."

"Okay. I love you."

"Love you too."

A click signals the end of the conversation. Riki sets the phone down with a small smile on his face. Kyousuke really is so considerate, going to the trouble of letting him know he'll be late. What a wonderful boyfriend he has.


	321. Real

"This is real, isn't it?" Riki murmurs as he lies side by side next to Kyousuke, his head resting in the crook of Kyousuke's arm.

"You know it is." Kyousuke strokes Riki's head, facing him with a smile.

"I never used to imagine things would turn out like this." Riki closes his eyes and sighs. "It's almost like a dream."

"Well, it's real." Kyousuke leans in, pressing his lips to Riki's. "And so is this."

"Hm." Riki cracks his eyes open, giving Kyousuke a dreamy look. "Yeah, that feels pretty real."


	322. Fake

The topic of who loves who has come up yet again among the guys. As usual, the conversation somehow leads to Riki liking Kyousuke.

"Haha, no way," Riki says, waving his hands. He looks at Kyousuke, who has a completely neutral look on his face. "We're both guys, so there's no way it could happen. It's totally ridiculous."

And yet, that flat denial sounds so fake to his ears. Riki puts his hands down and stares at his lap, feeling somewhat dismal.

He just doesn't know if it's okay to admit it. Maybe it would be better to go on with this denial. All he can do is hope that one day he'll find that courage to say how he really feels.


	323. Weird

When school is over, Riki heads straight to Kyousuke's classroom. As usual, Kyousuke is absorbed in reading a manga. Riki makes his way through the throng of fangirls gathered by the door and heads over to Kyousuke's desk.

"Hey, Kyousuke."

"Huh?" Kyousuke's head jerks up. He seems surprised by Riki's presence. "Oh, is school over already?" He glances at the clock to confirm the time.

"Yeah. You lost track of time, huh?" Riki focuses his gaze on the manga Kyousuke is holding. "I take it the manga you're reading is pretty good."

"Aha, yeah." Kyousuke lets out a brief laugh. "I'm really enjoying it. The storyline is pretty weird at first, but it gets really good after the first few chapters and it's hard to put down." As he's explaining, he gets up from his chair.

"Uh huh. A lot of these manga plots sound a bit out there to me, to be honest." Riki raises his shoulders in a light shrug. "Not that it's a bad thing, of course."

"Actually, I get called weird sometimes because I read manga a lot." Kyousuke picks up his bag. "Honestly, what's wrong with reading manga? I don't know why people look down on it."

"Huh, you do?" Riki follows Kyousuke out of the classroom. "Even if I haven't read much manga, calling you weird for it is definitely going too far. It's nice to have a hobby. Besides..."

"Hm? Besides what?" Kyousuke stops, glancing at Riki with a curious expression.

"Uh, I just love watching you read manga." A slight flush creeps over Riki's cheeks. "And all your female admirers seem to like it too. So, yeah, you definitely shouldn't ever feel bad about reading manga."

"Uh huh." Kyousuke smiles. "Yeah, it's good to have supporters. Of course, I'd never let any naysayers get me down either. You shouldn't let people make you feel bad for liking something either, Riki."

"I know." Riki nods, smiling back.


	324. Normal

"Phew." Riki sinks down onto the sofa as soon as they come back to the apartment. "That was a pretty exciting day we had. It sure was tiring though."

"Was it?" Kyousuke doesn't seem to be anywhere near as tired as Riki is feeling. "Yeah, it was exciting though. I can't wait to do something like that again."

"Yeah. Me neither." Riki murmurs. "But I guess we're going back to our normal, everyday life for a while."

"Normal, huh?" Kyousuke sits down and crawls on top of Riki. He comes face to face with him and kisses him on the lips. "It's not such a bad thing though, is it?"

"Mmm. I suppose you're right."

They begin fumbling with each other, tearing away their clothing and kissing fervently.

As nice as it is to spend time out together with the others, their day to day life isn't so bad either.


	325. Virgin

They have decided to take the next step in their relationship. Riki and Kyousuke are on Riki's bed and they would be ready to begin, but Kyousuke can't help but notice the awkward expression on Riki's face.

"What's the matter? You look a bit tense."

"Oh, well, it's just that it's my first time, I guess." Riki lowers his head until his eyes are hidden beneath his bangs. A slight red sheen covers his cheeks.

"There's no need to be nervous." Kyousuke places a hand on Riki's cheek and caresses it with his thumb. "I'm a virgin too."

That doesn't really surprise Riki. After all, he has never heard of Kyousuke dating anyone before him. "Um, well, I guess you have a point." Maybe he is being somewhat ridiculous about this after all. Still, this is Kyousuke, and Riki wants their first time together to be perfect so he can't help but be on edge.

"It's okay. Just relax," Kyousuke says in a soft voice, embracing Riki and pulling him into a deep kiss.


	326. Mud

"Whoah." Riki can't help but be stunned by the state of his gym clothes. A particularly intensive baseball session has led to them being coated in mud. It's honestly difficult to tell that these garments were once white and blue. "There's so much mud all over my clothes." It's even coating his legs and arms.

"I guess that's what we get for playing baseball after it's been raining, huh?" Kyousuke says with a light chuckle. "Dirt is the essence of youth after all."

Riki gives him an exasperated look. It's not like Kyousuke is even in a much better state. He, too, is coated from head to toe in mud. "It's going to be a pain to wash off."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Kyousuke raises his shoulders in a shrug. "But it's worth it, right? We had fun, didn't we?"

"Hm, I suppose I can't really argue with logic like that." Riki starts trudging back toward the baseball clubroom. Kyousuke was right, he supposed. Who cared how dirty they got as long as they were enjoying themselves.


	327. Office

"Oh, hey." Riki falls back onto his bed as he starts his conversation with Kyousuke over the cellphone. "How was your day?"

"Well, it was my first day at work and it wasn't so bad," Kyousuke replies. "My colleagues are friendly and my boss is nice too. I think I'll fit in well here."

"That's good to hear. So, what's it like there? You have your own office?"

Kyousuke lets out a short laugh. "Nah, I'm just starting out. There's no way I would have my own office. I've just got a cubicle for now."

"Oh. Right." Riki laughs awkwardly. "Yeah, I don't know much about this kind of thing yet. I haven't really even thought about what kind of job I'll get at this point."

"You haven't, huh? Well, the time will come when you have to think about it pretty soon, but at least you've got your last year of high school left ahead of you." Kyousuke lets out a sigh that sounds somewhat wistful. "Enjoy it while you still can."

"Yeah, of course I will. Good luck with your job, Kyousuke."

"Thanks."


	328. Presentation

"All done." Kyousuke leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms over his head. On the table in front of him was a small pile of papers. "I've finally finished the presentation for work."

"Oh? Good job," Riki said, looking up from his book.

"So." Kyousuke rose from the chair and made his way over to the sofa. He plonked himself on the sofa and expelled a heavy breath. "I'm free to spend the evening however I like now."

"What are you thinking of doing?"

Kyousuke shifted closer, snaking his arms around Riki's waist. He rested his chin in the crook of Riki's neck, his warm breath misting against Riki's ear. "Well, I was thinking that maybe we could spend some quality time together."

"Hmm. That's a very tempting offer." Riki closed the book and set it aside. He turned around to face Kyousuke. "I couldn't possibly refuse."

Kyousuke pressed his lips against Riki's and gently pushed him down on the sofa, taking him into a loving embrace.

Quality time together was always a welcome way to spend their evenings.


	329. Head Rush

"I'm back," Riki announced, walking into the apartment with a bag of takeaway food. "Sorry it took so long, the place was busy."

"Alright! I'm starving!" Kyousuke jumped up from the sofa, tossing aside the manga he had been perusing. After a few steps, he stumbled and clutched his head. "Whoah."

"Are you okay?" Riki hurried over to grab Kyousuke before he could fall over.

"Yeah, just got a major headrush." Kyousuke blinked and shook his head.

"Geez." Riki smiled in bemusement. "That's because you got up so quickly, and after sitting there reading manga for so long too. The food's not going anywhere."

"Yeah, but I'm just so hungry." Kyousuke rubbed his stomach.

"Honestly, you're such a child sometimes." At that moment, Riki's stomach rumbled and he blushed. "Uh."

Kyousuke raised an eyebrow. "I see you're hungry as well."

"Ahahaha." Riki rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah. Well then, let's eat."


	330. Brainfreeze

"Here you go." Kyousuke holds out a cone topped with scoops of ice cream which Riki gratefully takes. He sits down next to Riki, holding onto his own cone.

On a sweltering summer day, there really is nothing like having ice cream. It's cold, delicious and a welcome treat indeed.

It only takes a few licks of the ice cream however before Riki is scrunching up his face. "Ah."

"Hm?" Kyousuke glances at Riki. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, it's just brainfreeze. The ice cream is so cold." Riki lowers the ice cream, deciding to wait until the attack is over before continuing. "You don't seem to be bothered by it, Kyousuke."

"No, not really," Kyousuke replies in between licks.

"Huh." Riki doesn't find that terribly surprising. His head is feeling better now, so he returns to eating the ice cream.


	331. Sugar

"Whew! That was exciting!" Kyousuke stated as he and Riki got off the rollercoaster. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Okay, what ride should we go on next?" As he asked this, he pulled a brochure from his pocket. "Hm. The swinging pirate ship? Or the Perilous Plunger? I just can't decide! Ooh, what about bumper cars?"

Riki was growing dizzy listening to him. "Calm down, Kyousuke. We've got the rest of the day ahead of us, there's plenty of time." His words were futile as Kyousuke grabbed his hand and took off.

"Let's go on the bumper cars!"

"Ah, geez. You're acting like a kid on a sugar high."

Kyousuke could be excitable on a normal day. And yet, it was nothing compared to Kyousuke when he was in an amusement park. Riki was definitely not going to have any problems getting to sleep tonight.


	332. Spice

"What's this, the Hot Pepper Challenge?" Riki is looking at a queue of people standing in front of a stall.

"Hmm. Seems if you can eat a really hot pepper and withstand it, you win a prize. Alright! I'm going to give it a try," Kyousuke declares, raising a fist.

"Wait, Kyousuke, are you even used to eating spicy things?"

"Hmph. How hard can it be?" Kyousuke has a daring smile on his face.

Riki's expression turns worried as he sees a person running from the stall screaming. "Seriously, Kyousuke, let's pass on this."

"As the leader of the Little Busters, I can't just give up on a challenge!"

"And as the substitute leader of the Little Busters, I think you're being an idiot."

"Yes, I am an idiot." Kyousuke heads over to the stall.

Riki hangs his head, groaning. How can he argue with logic like that?

The queue is gradually diminishing. Every person in front of Kyousuke has run away. Now it's Kyousuke's turn.

"Alright, here we go!" Kyousuke declares with the utmost confidence before taking a bite of the pepper.

Riki waits for the inevitable.

"GYAAAAAAAAH!"

Yeah, that was pretty much what Riki had been expecting. He follows Kyousuke to the nearby water pitcher.

Kyousuke looks so miserable with his tearful eyes and his runny nose, that Riki doesn't even have the heart to say he told him so.


	333. Milk

"Ahh." Riki quietly exhales in frustration as he sits up in the futon. It's one of those annoying nights in which sleep is eluding him. He recalls a method used to aid in dropping off to sleep. It wouldn't hurt to try it out. He makes his way to the kitchen, taking care not to make any noise and disturb Kyousuke. Kyousuke has work tomorrow after all, so he needs his sleep.

Riki gets the milk out and heats it up. He sits down and sips at the warm beverage.

It's so quiet at this time of night. Riki thinks back to his childhood. Sometimes, he and Kyousuke would stay up late for hours doing nothing but talk if Riki was having trouble sleeping, and Kyousuke never complained once. He was always there when Riki needed him. A smile forms on Riki's face as he thinks about his childhood days.

Things are different now that they are both adults.

He finishes the milk and returns to the bedroom. Riki hears Kyousuke turning over and is startled, worrying for a moment that he might have disturbed him, but he doesn't hear anything more. Riki slips beneath the covers and closes his eyes. Soon enough, he's drifted off.


	334. Soda

"You look pretty beat," Kyousuke comments, as he and Riki walk back to the school after baseball practice.

"Well, yeah, practice was pretty gruelling," Riki replies. "We have a game coming up soon, so it's not like we can slack off." He has to marvel at how refreshed Kyousuke looks. He doesn't look like he's been running around a field in the least.

"Fancy a drink?" Kyousuke asks. "It's my treat."

"Eh, you sure?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Kyousuke heads over to the vending machine and Riki follows. "So, what do you want?"

"I'll have that soda."

Kyousuke gets a can of fruit juice for himself and a soda which he hands to Riki. They sit down on the bench and drink their beverages. The soda is so cold as it pours down Riki's throat, but it's deliciously refreshing and soothing.

"Ahh." Riki gasps, lowering the can. "That really hit the spot. Thank you, Kyousuke."

"No problem." Kyousuke smiles at him.


	335. Noise

"Mmm, aaah!" Riki lets a shrill exclamation pass through his lips. His eyes are closed and he has a look of bliss on his face.

Kyousuke's lips press against his, muffling his pleasured moans.

"Remember not to make too much noise," he whispers, dragging his lips down to the side of Riki's neck. He nuzzles at the crook of Riki's shoulders.

"It's hard not to," Riki whispers back. "You're just too good at this, Kyousuke."

"Thanks for the compliment." Kyousuke raises his head and meets Riki's gaze, his eyes shining in amusement. He leans in to kiss Riki again.


	336. Silence

Kyousuke had the idea of playing some game he read about where two people would sit in a closet for seven minutes. It sounded pretty random and Riki honestly didn't understand what it was supposed to accomplish, but everyone indulged Kyousuke's whims anyway.

In a predictable twist, Riki had ended up in the closet with Kyousuke.

The two of them sat close together in the darkness, pondering on what to say. There was just silence. Utter silence and nothing else.

"It sure is quiet," Riki commented.

"Yeah, it certainly is."

"That's pretty impressive, really, that everyone is managing to keep quiet. They must be listening to every word we're saying." Riki imagined them all with their ears pressed up against the doors. "Honestly, this game is kind of ridiculous. What's the point?"

"I wonder." Kyousuke shrugged. "So, everyone's listening in, huh?" He had dropped his voice to a whisper that Riki could barely hear. "It would be funny to prank them, wouldn't it?"

"What are you imagining?" Riki asked.

"On second thoughts, whatever I thought of wouldn't exactly be appropriate."

"Uh..." Riki thought for a moment about what he had meant then his face flushed. "No way I'm doing that!"

"Yeah, I thought that's what you might say." Kyousuke slipped an arm around Riki. "So, you don't even want to kiss?"

"Not with them listening in, I don't." Riki heard an audible sigh of disappointment from outside. "Sorry, Nishizono-san."

"Wh-what?" Mio sounded flustered. "I... I wasn't..."

After a couple minutes, Riki and Kyousuke came out of the closet, almost tripping over Mio, Haruka, Kurugaya and Kud. Masato, Kengo, Rin and Komari were sitting further away, apparently having not cared much for the act of listening in.

"That's all, folks." Kyousuke smiled.

"I knew it." Riki looked down at his eavesdropping friends with a raised eyebrow. Honestly, he wondered again, what was the point of this ridiculous game?


	337. Loud

Riki is deep in thought as he rests his elbows on his desk, gazing intently at the sheets of homework spread out before him. He's so focused on his work that he's unaware of someone coming up behind him. A pair of arms snake around his shoulders and soft, warm lips touch his cheek.

"UWAH!" Riki practically leaps out of the chair.

"Whoah." Kyousuke stumbles back with a surprised look. "That was a loud yell. Did I surprise you that much?"

Riki puts a hand over his chest where his heart is pounding rapidly. "Ah... Kyousuke, you really surprised me."

"Sorry, I didn't realize you were that out of it. I even said your name." Kyousuke rubs his head, looking sheepish. "They probably heard you next door."

"Ahh." Riki exhales, closing his eyes. "I didn't sense your presence at all. I was focused on my homework. Just, try not to startle me so much, I nearly had a heart attack."

"Yeah, I'll be more careful next time."

"Anyway... it's good to see you back, Kyousuke." Riki steps forward to hug him and Kyousuke returns the embrace.


	338. Imitation

"Kurugaya-san sent us something," Riki announced, placing a parcel on the table.

"Oh, did she? That was nice of her. What's the occasion?" Kyousuke came over.

"A housewarming gift, since we've just moved in together. That sure was kind of her. I'll just get something to open the box with."

Riki returned with a box cutter and cut open the box. He pulled out the layers of tissue paper to find something very surprising. "Uwah?! What the hell?!"

"What..." Kyousuke peered into the box. He could see a pair of what looked suspiciously like imitation breasts with a post-it note on them. 'For Riki-kun ;)' was what it read. "Whoah. Okay, that's... uh..."

"Kurugaya-san," Riki said under his breath, his fists clenched.

"Hmm, is that really all that's in there? The box is a bit big." Kyousuke pulled out the fake breasts along with more layers of paper. "Oh." He took out another post-it note and showed it to Riki.

'Just kidding,' this note said. 'Your real gift is underneath.'

"That's going way too far for a prank!" Riki exclaimed.

Kyousuke took out the rest of the paper. "Oh, nice, board games." He grinned as he took them out.

"Well, I guess that's a lot better than fake breasts," Riki muttered, slowly shaking his head. He was seriously going to have some words with Kurugaya the next time he spoke to her.


	339. Original

Riki is browsing through the shelves, curious about the stuff that actually isn't manga when he spots a thick, leather bound book. He takes it out to see the words 'Photo Album' on the cover and gradually remembers.

"Oh, isn't this that photo album you made?" Riki walks over to the sofa where Kyousuke is and sits down next to him. He's already leafing through the pages. There are so many pictures of the original Little Busters as children. "I haven't seen this in ages."

"Yeah, it has been a while, hasn't it?" Kyousuke leans in. "I can't believe it's been so long already."

"Me neither." Riki has a huge smile on his face. "And even now, we're all still the best of friends." So many memories are coming back to him as he looks at the photos. They had such wonderful times as children.

Kyousuke rests an arm across Riki's shoulder and remains like that as they pore over the photos and fondly reminisce on those bygone childhood days together.


	340. Mockingbird

Some of the members of the Little Busters are gathered in the library, helping Kud out with some activity that has her doing research into foreign things. The closest book to Riki is one about foreign birds. He idly leafs through the pages, stopping on one about the mockingbird. These birds are so far away, he thinks, as he gazes at a picture of the bird in question.

Even though Kyousuke is still in Japan, it feels like he's far away as well. 

For a moment, Riki feels a pang, but he quickly tries to dismiss that feeling. His thoughts drift to Kyousuke far too easily at times.

It's just hard not to think about him.

Riki wonders if Kyousuke thinks about him all the time too. Of course, it's not like he's actually going to ask.


	341. Lullaby

Riki idly flips through the channels on the television. There isn't anything on that captures his interest. The remote falls from his hand and he resigns himself to that fact. On the channel he stopped at, they are playing children's songs. The current one is a lullaby. It sounds kind of nostalgic.

No matter how hard he thinks about it, he can barely remember a time before the Little Busters. Did his parents sing him lullabies to get him to sleep? Even their faces are a vague memory. He's not too bothered by it though.

The day he met Kyousuke was as good as the day his life really began after all.

Thinking of Kyousuke, Riki wonders what he's doing right now. Working, no doubt. He's almost tempted to send him a text, but of course he knows better. They aren't in high school anymore, they can't send texts back and forth on a whim.

Riki switches the television off and gets up, supposing he might as well be a responsible adult and do some chores. As much as he'd like to indulge in childish fancies, he's an adult now, and Kyousuke wouldn't want him being irresponsible either.


	342. Clown

"So, Kyousuke, you know we thought of watching a movie together?" Riki was in the middle of cleaning up the baseball clubroom along with Kyousuke.

"Hmm, yeah. You got any ideas?" Kyousuke glanced at Riki, as he swept the floor.

"I'm not sure. Kurugaya suggested horror, but I'm not sure several of our members would like that too much."

"That's the point though. Horror is supposed to be scary. Of course you shouldn't want to watch it."

"I guess you're right. What sort of things do you find scary anyway?" Riki watched Kyousuke expectantly. He was quite interested in hearing what Kyousuke had to say.

"Hmm." Kyousuke thought about it for a long while. "Clowns."

"Eh? Clowns?!"

"Yes. Clowns. Did I say something weird?"

"Uh, no, I suppose clowns are creepy... I just didn't expect you to say something like that." Riki raised an eyebrow. "Never mind, Kurugaya-san will probably have some better ideas."

"If you let Kurugaya pick, nobody will be able to sleep for weeks."

"Ugh. I suppose you're right." Riki resumed cleaning. "I still think the first thing you think of is clowns is strange."

"Have you ever seen a clown?!"

"Of course I have." Riki exhaled. "Well, whatever." It wasn't like Kyousuke was wrong in thinking clowns were scary, so he wasn't going to push the issue.

"Fine, what about you, Riki? What do you find scary?"

"Um. Accidents. Death. That kind of thing, I suppose."

"Oh." Kyousuke didn't seem to know what to say to that. "Well, if you're looking for horror movies, you should try Ring. Can't go wrong with movies about vengeful ghost girls, and that one's a classic. I think clowns would be way too much."

"Aha, yeah. I'll keep that in mind then."


	343. Lion

"Trick or treat!" the two children cry in unison, the second Riki opens the door. One of them is dressed up as a lion and the other a bear.

Riki hands out the candy and the children hurry away.

"Well, we got our first trick or treaters." Riki shuts the door. "I guess trick or treat is really catching on now." He sets down the bowl of candy.

"Looks like it." Kyousuke comes over, glancing at the bowl. "There sure is a lot of candy. You think we'll have emptied the whole bowl by tomorrow?"

"Probably not. I mean, it took this long for our first trick or treaters."

"Oh well, then that's just more candy for me to eat then." Kyousuke makes a soft hmph, his face turning serious for a moment.

"Hm? What's the matter?" Riki tilts his head.

"I was just thinking, it's a real shame we didn't have this when we were children. This whole trick or treat thing, you know? Man, I would have loved putting on a costume and going around getting candy from people."

"You can just buy your own candy, you know."

"Yes, but that's not the point." Kyousuke gives an exaggerated sigh. "We were so deprived. And now all these kids are getting to enjoy trick or treating. Why couldn't we have had that too?"

"A lot of things have changed since we were children." Riki smiles in bemusement. "Anyway, we still had fun doing other things, didn't we?"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Kyousuke helps himself to a piece of candy.

"Hey, don't eat it all." Riki admonishes him with a stern tone. "That's for the trick or treaters."

"Ah, you're so bossy, Riki. Guess I have to wait until tomorrow then."


	344. Tiger

"Ugh. This is pretty embarrassing." Riki examined himself and expelled a heavy sigh. "Whose great idea was it to throw a costume party?" He was currently clad in a shirt and shorts decorated with tiger stripes, while wearing a wig decorated with twin horns. "And why did I think it was a good idea to let you pick the outfits for us?"

"Hey, come on, I look just as ridiculous as you, don't I?" Kyousuke was dressed in much the same manner as Riki, except he was wearing a red wig rather than blue.

"Huh, so you are admitting I look ridiculous?" Riki frowned. "Gee, thanks. Anyway, why an oni theme? This is a bit silly, isn't it?"

"Look on the bright side, we can look ridiculous together." Kyousuke grinned. Unlike Riki, he wasn't bothered about looking ridiculous at all.

"Geez." Riki exhaled. "Well, I just hope we're not the most ridiculous looking ones there." Although, that seemed like a futile hope. Kyousuke was surely the uncontested master of looking ridiculous and not giving a damn at the same time.


	345. Windmill

"Are you getting tired?" Kyousuke has noticed that Riki's movements are getting a bit slower and his face is rather drained.

"Oh, well, I suppose I am a bit." Riki expels a heavy breath, his shoulders sagging. "Sorry."

"No need to apologise. Let's take a rest here." Kyousuke sits atop a grassy mound and Riki sits down next to him. "I'm used to walking a lot, but you probably need to take rests more often than me. Here, have some water." He hands a bottle to Riki.

"Thanks." Riki takes the bottle and gulps loudly. He gazes into the distance. There's a windmill on a distant hill. The blades are slowly turning around. "You have done a lot of traveling, haven't you?"

"Yup. It's fun to wander around and see all sorts of new things."

"You must have seen so many incredible things." Riki rests his chin in his hands. "Of course, you've told me so many stories. There's so much out there in the world. And yet, it would probably take more than a lifetime to see everything."

"I suppose it would. Well, no point in thinking about the stuff you'll never see. I've never even been outside of Japan myself."

"True." Riki leans against Kyousuke and smiles. Kyousuke puts an arm around Riki and they stay like that for a while. Eventually, Riki feels strong enough to keep going.

"Alright, that's enough resting." Riki gets up. "Let's keep going."

"Sure. It's not too far now." Kyousuke takes Riki's hand and they continue toward their destination.


	346. Whirl

Kyousuke takes hold of Riki's hands and starts whirling him around. It feels exhilarating to spin round and round, though it doesn't take long for Riki to become dizzy. Their spin quickly comes to a stop before it gets any worse.

Kyousuke is falling onto the grass and he ends up pulling Riki down on top of him. Both of them are laughing quietly as they look into each other's eyes.

Riki feels like kissing him, so he does. As his lips mesh against Kyousuke's, Kyousuke brings up his hands and runs them through Riki's hair. Riki collapses against Kyousuke, feeling the rapid rise and fall of Kyousuke's chest against him. Kyousuke brings his arms down to around Riki's back and hugs him tightly.

Riki rests his cheek against Kyousuke's chest and closes his eyes.

"I love you so much," he murmurs.

"And I love you too."


	347. College

Riki has been waiting outside the campus building, anticipating Kyousuke's arrival with much excitement. As soon as he sees him, he runs over to pull him into a tight hug.

"Kyousuke!" Riki gasps out. "Ahh, I missed you."

"Hey." Kyousuke pats Riki's head. "It's good to see you. How has college life been treating you so far?"

"Oh, well, it's not too bad." Riki steps back. He glances at the building behind him. "It's different to high school, that's for sure, but not in a bad way. The work is definitely more difficult but I'm coping."

"Good to hear. I don't know anything about college life myself, so it's not like I could give you any tips. Have you been making friends?"

"Ah, well, I am getting along with some people so far." Riki looks a bit wistful for a moment. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't missing everyone, though."

"Well, it's to be expected, I suppose." Kyousuke smiles, though his smile seems a little sad. "As long as you're not lonely though, it's okay. I'd hate to think you were."

Riki shakes his head. "Don't worry." He holds out his hand. "So, you want to come and see my dorm?"

"Yeah, sure." Kyousuke takes his hand and they set off together.


	348. Piggy Bank

"You've done a good job with this place, Kyousuke," Riki comments as he takes a tour of the apartment.

"Thanks. I'm pretty happy with it myself."

"This is your room, huh?" Riki peers through the half open door. There is a large pile of manga lying around by the futon. "Uhh, it's not very tidy in here, is it?"

"No, I suppose not." Kyousuke looks sheepish. He steps past Riki and starts picking up the scattered volumes. "I was having a manga marathon the other night and just couldn't be bothered to pick them up yet."

"Honestly." Riki follows him into the room and looks around. His gaze falls upon a round pig ornament sitting upon a dresser. There is a slot in the back. He picks it up and shakes it around, hearing a rattling sound. "You have a piggy bank?"

"Yeah. That's from Rin."

"Eh?" Riki sets the piggy bank down.

"She thinks I'll have a hard time being a responsible adult and not spending all my money on manga so I should apparently use the piggy bank to save up my money for that kind of thing."

"I see" Riki nods with a smile. "She knows you well."

"Hey, come on." Kyousuke's face falls. "Does everyone think I'd be that bad at the responsible adult thing?"

"Eh heh. Well." Riki scratches his cheek. "I'm sure you're going to be fine, Kyousuke."

"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, I guess." Kyousuke lets out a small sigh. "Being an adult does seem like it will be tough."

"I'm sure it will." Riki smiles sympathetically. "But I know you'll be able to handle it."

"Yeah." Kyousuke smiles back.


	349. Theft

Riki focuses his attention on the television, listening intently to the news broadcast. It seems there have been incidents of theft happening in the area.

"I just don't get it." Riki shakes his head. It worries him to think something like this is happening so close and he prays they won't be victims as well.

"Hm?" Kyousuke looks up from his manga. "What don't you get?"

"I don't understand why people go out of their way to make life miserable for other people." Riki sighs. "Breaking into people's homes and stealing their stuff is such an awful thing to do. I hope we aren't going to be the next target."

"Yeah." Kyousuke looks thoughtful for a moment. "I could always rig a trap. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"Uh, I don't think you need to go that far." Riki really didn't envy the idea of living in a booby trapped apartment. No doubt though, Kyousuke could probably come up with an elaborate trap and catch the culprit in the process should they decide to target them next.

"Guess not." Kyousuke smiles wistfully. "We had so much fun back then, when we were children, chasing down the bad guys and beating them up."

"Yeah." Riki puts his chin in his hand. "We should leave this sort of thing to the police though."

"Of course. I wasn't actually thinking we should hunt them down. Anyway, we're adults now. If we went around beating people up, we would be in trouble."

Riki lets out a small laugh. "I guess we would. It really was a lot of fun though." He leans back against the sofa. "You always used to set all sorts of diabolical traps and win every time. It was incredible." He looks at Kyousuke. "I had such a fun childhood, thanks to you."

"Yeah." Kyousuke leans against Riki, resting his cheek on the top of Riki's head. Riki snuggles closer to him. "Our childhood years were the best."

"Do you miss it?"

"I suppose so. There's no point in being sad about growing up though, you know. All we can do is look forward."

"Right." Riki closes his eyes, smiling softly.


	350. Apartment

"Hey, Riki." Kyousuke greets Riki with a grin as he opens the door. "You made it. Come in, come in." He seems rather excited, Riki thinks. "Welcome to my apartment." As he says that, Kyousuke steps back and makes a sweeping gesture.

Riki takes a step inside and his gaze roams around the room. "It looks small. Oh, but there's nothing wrong with that. I just mean... uh..." He trails off.

"Nah, it's alright. I couldn't afford a bigger place and I'm living on my own right now, so yeah. There's still room for two."

"Room for two, huh." Riki turns to look at Kyousuke, who's smiling at him. "You mean...?"

"Well, when you're finished with college. If you wanted to, I mean. I dunno. We are dating, so it would make sense." Kyousuke shifted his gaze. "Maybe that was a bit too presumptuous of me. Forget I said anything."

"No, it just caught me off guard, that's all." Riki lowers his head, flushing somewhat. "I don't think it would be so bad."

"Well, we'll see what the future brings us." Kyousuke takes Riki by the hand. "Let's continue the tour, shall we?"


	351. Beach

Early in the morning, Kyousuke and Riki came to the beach.

There was nary a soul to be seen. The cries of seagulls and the crashing sound of water hitting the shore was all that could be heard. It was early enough that a deep chill still permeated the air. Riki wrapped his arms around himself.

"You cold?" Kyousuke put his arms around Riki.

"I'm okay." Riki gazed out at the horizon. Though he had said it was fine, it was still nice to have Kyousuke holding him like this. He leaned back against Kyousuke and his lips turned up at the corners. Kyousuke rested his chin on Riki's head and hugged him just a little tighter.


	352. Sand

Kyousuke tugged at Riki's hand and they ran along the coast. The wind billowed past, whipping at their hair and stinging their eyes, but they paid no heed to it. Their hearts raced and they basked in the exhilaration of just running without a care in the world.

After a few minutes, the two of them collapsed onto the sand, where they lay with laughter bubbling from their throats while they gasped for breath.

"Ahh." Riki let out a long breath and closed his eyes. "You really can be so spontaneous, Kyousuke."

"But isn't it fun?" Kyousuke turned over, looking at Riki with a grin. He leaned in and kissed Riki.

Riki's arms came up to encircle Kyousuke and he kissed back. Kyousuke sank down on top of him and they continued to kiss.


	353. Sunset

The sun is dipping down toward the horizon, its light dyeing the sky with hues of red and purple.

"Today was a lot of fun, wasn't it?" Kyousuke asks. He follows the line of Riki's gaze toward the sunset.

"Yeah." A small sigh passes through Riki's lips. It feels like it was over all too soon.

"Well, we'll definitely have another one like it." Kyousuke slips his hand into Riki's.

"Yeah." Riki tears his gaze away from the sunset and nods, a smile forming on his face. "Of course we will."


	354. Sunrise

A thin light filters through the crack in the curtains. Riki rises from the futon and makes his way over to the window. The rising sun is peeking over the top of the buildings against a backdrop of purple and blue. As he gazes upon the sunrise, a smile forms on his face. It's always nice to see the beginning of a new day.

"Riki." Kyousuke's voice reaches his ears.

Riki turns around and sees Kyousuke looking at him from the other futon. "Oh, did I wake you?"

"Nah, I was already awake anyway."

Riki comes back to the futon and slips beneath the sheet. It's still a bit early after all.

Kyousuke gently pulls Riki to him and they cuddle together until the time has come to get up.


	355. Swing

"Hmm." Kyousuke had a thoughtful look on his face as he and Riki walked down the street. "I know, let's go to the park."

"The park, huh? We used to go a lot as children." Riki smiled fondly as he thought back to those times. They used to spend hours messing around on the playground equipment. "It was a lot of fun."

It didn't take long to reach the park. There were few people around when they arrived.

"Oh, hey, the swings are free. Let's go." Kyousuke grabbed Riki's hand and tugged him over without waiting for him to say anything. He sat down on one and kicked off with a gleeful expression.

"I wonder how we must look to other people," Riki said, even as he started swinging.

"Eh, who cares. We're having fun."

"Yeah. You're right." Riki smiled as he indulged in the act of simply swinging back and forth. It really was fun to relive their childhood once in awhile.


	356. Birthday

Riki awoke from his slumber to a pleasant smell. Since Kyousuke wasn't in the room, Riki could make a pretty good guess that he was cooking breakfast. He went to brush his teeth before heading toward the kitchen.

The sight of the table stopped him in his tracks. There was a card in the center, propped up by a small vase with a single flower protruding from its well. His name was scrawled on the envelope.

Oh yeah, Riki thought, today was his birthday, wasn't it? He approached the door to the kitchen. "Kyousuke?"

"Oh, good morning, Riki. I'm just cooking breakfast for us, so take a seat."

"Okay." Riki sat at the table and picked up the envelope. Inside the envelope was a card. He opened it up to read the message.

'Riki, best wishes on your very special day. Lots of love, Kyousuke.'

Riki smiled as he set the card aside.

A few minutes later, Kyousuke emerged from the kitchen, carrying two plates heaped with pancakes.

"Oh, wow. You made pancakes?" Riki said as Kyousuke set the plates down.

"Yeah. Thought I'd treat you to a nice breakfast for your birthday." Kyousuke leaned in, planting a kiss on Riki's lips. "Happy birthday, Riki."


	357. Claim

"Hey, look." Kyousuke came to a halt as he and Riki passed by a noodle stand. "They have a deal where you get their biggest bowl of ramen for free if you can eat it in under fifteen minutes. How about that?"

"No way." Riki looked doubtful. "If it was so easy to eat in that short a time, I don't think they would do it. It's got to be impossible."

"Hmph." Kyousuke had a daring smile on his face. "I'm sure this is going to be a piece of cake."

"That's a big claim to make," Riki remarked. Though it was Kyousuke after all, he supposed. Kyousuke could probably win the challenge. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I am actually. You?"

"I suppose I am, but there's no way I could do this challenge."

"You really need to do something about your self-esteem."

"This has nothing to do with self-esteem. It's just common sense."

"Fair enough." Kyousuke exhaled. "So, do you fancy having ramen anyway?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm curious to see if you can do the challenge, to be honest."

The two sat down to order. Riki was astounded by the sight of the heaped bowl that was set in front of Kyousuke. In contrast, his ordinary sized bowl looked pitifully small. He started eating at his own pace, glancing at Kyousuke every so often to see how he was getting on. It seemed he was making remarkable progress.

"All done." Kyousuke announced. "Phew." He put his hands on his stomach. "I'm bloated."

"Time, thirteen minutes," the noodle seller announced. "Incredible! You're the first person to have managed to beat this challenge. As promised, you get it for free."

"Wow." Riki peered at the bowl, seeing nothing but a small puddle of miso and a few tiny scraps at the very bottom. "You really are amazing, Kyousuke."

"Heh, what did I say?" Kyousuke grinned. "Piece of cake."


	358. Stamp

Kyousuke licks the blank side of the stamp and carefully affixes it in place on the postcard. He reads over what he's written - a brief message to Riki about where he currently is and what he's been up to, finally telling him that he will see him soon.

He wonders what Riki is up to right now. Hopefully, having fun with everyone else and not missing him too much. Well, he's bound to be missing Kyousuke somewhat, but that's fine.

Kyousuke misses Riki too.


	359. Wounds

"Are you okay?" Riki asks, looking anxious as he eyes the bandages wrapped around Kyousuke's arm.

"Yeah, it wasn't that bad. It looked worse than it was, really" Kyousuke flashes him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry."

Riki exhales slowly. Certainly, he has seen Kyousuke in a far worse state before, such as at that time. The image of Kyousuke covered in wounds while leaning against a bus will never leave his mind. Still, he hates to see Kyousuke get hurt.

"Well, I'm glad it wasn't too bad. Just try to be a bit more careful with your crazy stunts, alright?"

"Yeah, sure." Kyousuke puts an arm around Riki's shoulders, his mouth widening in a grin. "Well then, let's go."


	360. Marshmallow

"I made us some hot chocolate." Kyousuke sat down next to Riki and held out a mug.

"Ahh. Thanks, Kyousuke." Riki felt immensely grateful. Hot chocolate was a wonderful treat on a cold winter's day. He closed his eyes and inhaled the soothing aroma wafting from the mug. It smelled so good. Two large marshmallows, one pink and the other white, bobbed on the surface of the steaming chocolate liquid, just visible within the blobs of whipped cream. 

Riki raised the mug to his lips and cautiously sipped at the warm liquid. Out the corner of his eye, he watched Kyousuke carefully pluck a marshmallow from his hot chocolate and put it into his mouth before taking a sip.

Kyousuke lowered the mug and sighed. "Mmm. It's good, isn't it, Riki?"

"Yeah." Riki licked his lips. He sipped again. It didn't take long for the hot liquid to make him feel warm inside. What a delicious treat it was.


	361. Bed

Kyousuke and Riki lay side by side beneath the covers of their futons, waiting for sleep to come and carry them away. Then, Riki broke the silence.

"Hey, Kyousuke?" His voice was soft.

"Mm?"

"What if we..." A pause followed. "Well, slept in each other's arms? Can we?"

"Of course." Kyousuke shifted over and put his arm around Riki's body, pulling him closer. He felt Riki's arm snake around his torso.

"Mmm." Riki rested his head against Kyousuke's chest. "You're so warm." A sigh slipped through his curved lips.

Kyousuke kissed Riki on the forehead, his lips lingering in place for several seconds. He rested his head against the pillow and closed his eyes.


	362. Moon

The silvery light of the moon casts a soft glow over their surroundings. Riki turns his eyes up to gaze upon the pale circle hanging in the night sky as he walks together with Kyousuke, joined by their hands. It's surrounded by a cluster of softly twinkling stars. The sight is enough to take his breath away and he stops.

Kyousuke stops too. "Hm? What is it?"

"Ah, I was just thinking that the sky looks beautiful tonight."

Kyousuke gazes at Riki's face for a long moment, entranced by the look of awe and the bluish glow reflected in his eyes. It's such a charming sight to behold. He tears his gaze away and directs it to the sky.

"Yeah. It really does."


	363. Low

"I need coffee," Kyousuke mumbles as he drags himself into the kitchen.

"The kettle's just boiled. Help yourself." Riki watches Kyousuke go through the motions at a sluggish pace. It used to be unusual to see Kyousuke with such low energy. He was always so lively and energetic, even when he was sick. "You were working pretty late last night."

"Mm." Kyousuke brings the steaming mug to his lips and slowly sips at the coffee. He focuses on drinking in silence for a while then sets the mug down. "It really is a pity when I have to work late."

"Yeah." Riki nods. It's not much fun being all by himself during the evenings. "But, work is important."

"Of course. I'm working as hard as I can, every day." Kyousuke takes another sip of the coffee. "I always look forward to coming home and seeing you, though."

"You do, huh." Riki smiles, somewhat bashfully. Of course, he looks forward to it as well.


	364. Close

"Hold on a second, Riki."

"Hm?" Riki stops in his tracks.

Kyousuke steps closer and leans in until his face is less than an inch away from Riki's. His gaze is focused intently on Riki's face.

He's so close. Riki can't help but be aware of that. His heart thumps and his cheeks turn warm. Wait, why is he getting so worked up about this? Riki silently admonishes himself. It's not such a big deal.

"You've got some dirt on your cheek." Kyousuke brushes Riki's cheek with a thumb. "There. It's gone."

"Ah. Right." Riki can barely say anything as he's caught up in the moment. He shakes his head, trying to dispel that feeling of being utterly dazed.

Kyousuke really does have a heck of an effect on him sometimes.


	365. High

Kyousuke and Riki stand side by side, looking out at the school grounds from up high, on the roof of the school building. There is nobody else around which is hardly surprising. They know they shouldn't be there, but in typical Kyousuke fashion, Kyousuke suggested they come up here. Riki could hardly refuse, having been up here plenty of times himself. 

"This is probably the last time I'll get to see this view, huh." Kyousuke expels a heavy breath.

"Yeah." Riki nods, his expression turning sad. It's the last day before Kyousuke graduates. He sticks his fingers through the wire mesh of the fence and holds on tightly. "We had a lot of fun times together at this school. I wish it didn't have to be over."

"I know." Kyousuke leans against the fence. "At least you've still got a year of high school left. You'll keep having fun even without me there, won't you?"

"Of course." Riki nods. Even if Kyousuke isn't there, he's going to do his best to make sure everyone is having fun.

"I'm going to miss it." Kyousuke smiles wistfully. "We really had such good times. Everybody has to become an adult eventually though." He looks at Riki. "Make sure you enjoy your last year as much as you possibly can. It will be over all too soon."

"I will." Riki lets go of the fence and sidles up to Kyousuke. He leans against him and Kyousuke slips an arm against Riki, holding him against his side. "I'll still miss you a lot. You've always been there for me. I can't imagine life with you at all. I... I love you so much, Kyousuke."

"And I love you too." Kyousuke presses his lips against the top of Riki's head.


End file.
